Love, Life, and Peril
by LiamReyas
Summary: Lundgren's rule over Caelin is reinforced by a dark shadow. Lyndis of Sacae comes across a young man named Will who will change her fate forever. The fight for Caelin will be fought on both planes of war, and Lyn will have to trust her new friend to survive. REMASTERED! More chapters incoming.
1. Death on the Plains

**Author's note**: Hey everyone, Formerly Tatsu55 here. I've been really into Fire Emblem: Awakening recently, and it really made me want to write again. Even more than that, I wanted to go back and edit what I had done before. Back when I did Love, Life, and Peril it was pretty okay, but a lot of the language and grammar I used was wrong, and I get the feeling I started using a few too many OCs. So I'm going through and rewriting this whole thing, starting with the very first chapter! Any of you who have read this befoe, be warned: general plot will be the same, but the way it's written and some characters and interactions will be all new. Hope you all enjoy it!

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Chapter 1: Death on the Plains

He was finding it increasingly difficult to breathe, as he clambered over the peak of the latest hill that had barred his path. His green cloak was in tatters, several holes and rips from battles past making it a rather poor means of fighting of the morning chill. His brown hair was matted to his head, a single strand falling into his face blocking his right eye, which he found especially annoying as he tried to exhale in a way that pushed the hair up, only for it to fall back in his face once more. A quick glance behind him told him that his pursuers were still there, and they were gaining quickly. Another sigh passed his lips and he knew he wasn't going to escape them.

"Well, if I'm going to die, might as well be on my feet when I do it." The young man said as he turned. He couldn't be older than 16, his form wasn't bulky, but he wasn't thin either, showing small amounts of muscle that had likely built in the same battles that had ruined his cape. He drew his sword, one which had a tiger engraved upon the hilt, and glowed with the power of dark magic. In his Cloak attached to a rather hefty belt was also a magical tome that was all black in color, with symbols on it that indicated it to be a tome of dark magic.

"So, what am I up against?" He mused to himself, seeing his opposition. There were about ten pursuers, four of which were wielding axes, one held aloft a lance, two had swords clanking at their hips, and three were mages, though from here he couldn't discern which type of magic they used. He closed his eyes as his tried to slow his brain, which was trying so hard not to shut down that the pounding in his head was to the point of distraction.

_Calm down now. Breathe in and out as you picture the battlefield. Let the possibilities enter your mind._ His thoughts began to slow, and it was as if the field had suddenly become a grid, on which he could see the pieces moving. _Axes will have the hardest time connecting. Worry most about the other magic users and the lance. Start with sneak attack. Sword's ability will finish lanceman, restore vitality. Realize axe and swordsman may try to attack during that time period. Counter and evade. Switch to magical attack, target mages. Keep on the move, use anything I can for cover. Bodies are the safest bet. After magic users, switch back to close range. Use sword to finish final opponents. Ideal time limit for battle: five minutes. Toll on body: extreme. Likeliness of failure: medium-high._

"Let's go then." He murmured to himself, his sword hand gripping the sword, which was already drenched in sweat. Another factor to consider. He charged forward towards the axmen, but as the man raised his axe high to strike he swerved to the left, heading for the lancer instead. A bolt of light hit the spot he would've been at if he hadn't swerved. Darting his eyes over to the mages, he noted that the right-most one is the one who had attacked with light magic, which was dangerous for his magical makeup.

He ran forward and circled around the lancer, who was twirling his lance as he struck out at the young man as he attempted to get close. Letting out a sigh, the young man struck out towards the lancer, though he only swished the air in the man's general direction. This was where the sword's ability came in. The dark power surrounding the sword struck out in a wave, which swallowed the lancer. The power then returned to the young man, who felt his energy levels rise slightly at the man's demise.

_I hate showing a trump card early._ The young man thought as he sheathed his sword. _I hate even more having to kill people like this. So much for disappearing without a trace._ He pulled out his magical tome now, letting the pages blow in the slight wind as he turned towards the mages.

It was lucky he did, as at that moment a fireball came within inches of connecting with his face. He heard a battle cry and turned to see one of the swordsmen barreling towards him. In a rush he tried to finish his incantation for the spell, but knew it was too late as the man slashed out, catching his arm as he tried to dodge out of the way. The young man returned it by blasting the dark magic straight into the man's face, leaving a hole where it once had been.

As the man's body fell to the ground, the boy grabbed his body and hoisted it up in front of him, letting it take the blast of light magic that once more was sent his way. At least the man was already dead, he wouldn't feel any of the further pain inflicted onto his body. It was a small consolation for him as the boy then threw the corpse at the advancing axmen, and then pointed a new spell at another sword user, who promptly threw down his weapon and ran. The young man picked up the dropped sword, and threw it as hard as he could at the mage currently chanting a light spell. The sword struck true in the man's chest, and he fell to the ground as life left his body.

The fire mage gave fright at this and also fled. "Too bad the rest never know when to give up…" He sighed as he eyed the axe men, who were currently trying to surround him. A dark pool of magic formed beneath him, and the young man jumped back before the magic struck upward, managing to avoid it. He gripped his injured arm, annoyed with himself. That throw had just dislocated his shoulder, and the blood was still flowing from the open wound. If he was unlucky he may have just lost the use of his arm for good.

He could feel himself slowing down. The next axe strike he managed to dodge as well, though just barely. He unsheathed his sword and swung it upward, taking half of the man along with it. He could feel himself becoming a little queasy at the sight. He really felt unsuited to this after all. At least he was ambidextrous. Though to be fair it was his left arm that was ruined, so his dominate arm was still in the fight.

Two more axe men fell before the final one gave up and fled. While the dark user hesitated, the young man switched back to his dark magic tome and struck out at him, the blow swallowing the man whole. The attackers were all dead or gone, he had pulled it off. He was beginning to feel dizzy now… all the blood and gore he had just gone through… felt like too much for him. On top of that his arm was throbbing continuously now, and his brain was feeling especially muddled and forgetful.

"I got out of that place to escape this life… and yet since I have, I seem to be killing even more people than before. Damn…" He fell to one knee, breathing heavily. Maybe he should try and offer a small prayer for the dead men's souls. They were likely only doing their jobs, after all. Before he could do that though, he heard a small rustling of grass.

"…" Another man stepped from the shadows, his daggers at the ready. The young man turned quickly on the spot. "I should've known they wouldn't send only the grunts." He said, looking upon the newcomer with a bit of melancholy.

"…" Without a word the man attacked, his twin daggers slashing out. The young man barely managed to hold his sword aloft to block the blow, thankful his sword covered a large area and stopped both daggers, though only just. The man seemed to be expecting this though, and leapt gracefully over the younger man's head, landing behind him with both feet firmly planted. The young man could hear the twirling of the daggers, and turned to face his fate.

The strikes were fast and true, one on his left arm, in the very spot it was hurting him, and the other in his stomach. _I'm just not fast enough… _ The young man thought, as his sword fell to the ground. For some reason, a small smile began to spread across his face. It was at least some consolation to him to know the fight was over. He had lost, but he had done all he could. He could feel the fog in his mind clearing. The pain even seemed to be lessening, as he felt his body begin to fall forward.

"You truly are… an angel of death." He said as he finally fell to the ground.

"…" The man turned without a word, and disappeared.

* * *

Somewhere else on the plains, a young woman turned to face the wind, which had begun to blow in a strangely serene way. Something was amiss to her. The wind seemed to be weeping. Without a thought, she grabbed a hold on one of the many wild horses that roamed the plains of Sacae, swinging her leg over it as it neighed contentedly at the gesture.

"Why… Why can't I shake this feeling?" She said to herself as she dismounted from the horse, only minutes after she had gotten on. She had traveled a large distance though, as the horse seemed to have been following the wind that was blowing as well.

"The wind cries stronger here than anywhere else." She said softly, letting her green ponytail fly in the wind. As she looked around, she could see something in the grass. When she recognized it as blood, she gasped.

"Mother earth… what has happened here…" She breathed, beginning to look through the bloodshed. She could spot several corpses, all of whom were garbed in strange black robes, and finally…

"Father Sky… who is this? He's not dressed like the others." She pondered, kneeling down into the grass. He was dressed in a strange green cloak, which was tattered and seemed a poor choice of garments. However, unlike the rest, his chest has still rising and falling, though it very slight, as she could tell it was beginning to fade.

"He's alive!" She gaped in surprise, leaning closer. His breathing was very shallow now, but his heart continued to beat defiantly in his chest. If she managed to get him back to her house, she could treat him and he would likely live. He didn't seem to have anything on him, aside from his attire, a book and a sword, both of which laid so close to him she guessed they were his. He did not have the garb of one of the tribes of Sacae, so she surmised he must be a traveler of some sort. But what she couldn't figure out was why he ended up in a fight with these men. _Perhaps they were working together and had a falling out?_ Many questions raced through her head, but she decided to take care of the most pressing issue first.

"Stay with me… I can save you. Don't give up on life just yet." She said. The man seemed to respond. Looking, she noticed he had opened one eye to look at her.

He saw the girl, but seemed to struggle to speak. "I'm… not dead yet?" He asked in confusion. She shook her head, and he smiled weakly. "...Damn, I'm must be... more stubborn... then I…" He closed his eyes and clearly could say no more. The girl, who assumed she was around the same age as the boy, managed to drag him onto the horse, which had stood there waiting for her return. Thanking Mother Earth for the good fortune, she led the horse as swiftly as she could back to her abode. By the time she arrived, the young man was still breathing, but his heartbeat had begun to fade.

"His condition has gotten worse." She said, finally getting him onto her bed, as there was nowhere else she could treat him. "Now… it's a good thing I've these healing herbs I managed to collect…" She said, and went to work caring for her new charge.

Much later in the evening, the young woman continued her vigil, despite the siren call of sleep that ask for her. "I wish I could do more…" She sighed drowsily. The boy's breathing had stabilized and the wound on his arm she had bandaged, after popping the joint back into place. The boy had at least made a groan at the discomfort, which she took as a promising sign. From there she had applied Vulneraries to both the cut part of the arm (replacing the bandage when necessary) and even more crucially the wound on his stomach.

She watched his face carefully, noting it was in much better condition now. During treatment he had been twisting his face in pain, but kindly even he hadn't moved his body around. Perhaps he was used to being treated. It seemed like everything that could be done had been, though she took the chance to gently push a strand of hair from his face back behind his ear so it wasn't hanging in front of his eye. The young man seemed not to wake, though a small smile once again crossed his features.

"I suppose there isn't much more to do until he wakes up, but I still can't sleep…" She said sadly, rubbing her eyes to convince herself of this as well. She stood up and decided to head outside for a bit. She could use this time to refill the water jugs in the nearby stream, since they were beginning to run low. Luckily he didn't have a fever brought on from the cold or his injuries, but she had been sure to keep him hydrated just in case.

"I sure hope he does wake soon… I suppose I could wash his clothes and take a bath while I'm down there…" she said, glancing at his blood stained clothes lying next to the wall. She had dressed him in a Lorca tribe outfit after treating his wounds (Thankfully her father's outfit fit him quite well, though it was a smidge too big for him), but his clothes were so cut up that apart from the cape which seemed more sentimental in nature… it wasn't going to be much use. "Well… I'll wash them anyway." She said, shrugging, and picked them up. "I could just let him keep the robe though, I hope father would forgive me for doing that." She said and almost giggled at the thought. Likely he would've just told her to stop sweating small things like clothing and do the Lorca tribe proud.

Something still didn't feel right. He should be dead, after those attacks, and yet it felt like the warmth and comfort was going farther away. Replacing it was still the warmth, but like one of a bed rather than that all-encompassing warmth. Also, he was beginning to feel pain again. A lot of it. Particularly in his arm and stomach. A passing thought made him consider that perhaps he was being punished. Another told him someone was beside him. Not knowing what was right or what anything was anymore, he felt his mind once more drifting away.


	2. A Girl on the Plains

**Author's Note**: I'm just going to barrel on through here. Please give constructive criticism if you can, but avoid flaming. I'd like to know what I can improve on rather than just hearing 'it's bad, you suck.' Thank you all.

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Chapter 2: A Girl on the Plains

"Tell me… do you know of dragons?" The low voice growled out from underneath a hood, shielding the man's face.

"Y-Yes… I know the whole story." The other man, also hooded, spoke in stuttering tone that angered the first.

"Do you now? Interesting. Repeat it." The first growled.

"Yes… Once, dragons and men coexisted peacefully. This peace lasted for many generations, as it was founded on wisdom. But all of that was lost when Mankind disrupted the balance in a sudden onslaught. Man fought dragon in a bloody war called the Scouring, a savage war that shook the foundations of the world. Defeated and humbled by eight legendary heroes and their weapons, the dragons vanished from the world. In time, man rebuilt and spread his domain across the land and to the islands beyond. It's been a millennium since those dark days ended." The second recited, as if he were reading it directly from the text.

"And we… we shall bring them back." The first growled satisfactorily.

"What the hell do you—" The second began.

"Do not talk to your superior that way!" The first snapped back, silencing the second man as quickly as he had spoken.

"Y-Yes sir. I'm sorry, sir."

* * *

The young man groaned in pain. It had been two days that the young girl had watched over him. She cared for him as if he was the only thing around that needed her. As if there was no hunting to do, no one to talk to. This however was a simple truth of her life. There was no one else. She was alone.

The walls and floor were littered with very few items of no real value, much of it broken or burnt. Her clothing was the only one in the hut, all of which hung from walls or were stacked neatly on the floor, while a few other outfits that were clearly not hers lay in a crumpled heap in a corner of the hut.

She noticed that his breathing had quickened. He must have been having a horrible dream, perhaps reliving the days before she had found him, or perhaps living days long before that. She couldn't say, but for her part she hoped the nightmare would end soon. She picked up her bowl and decided to refill it. She had been quelling his bad dreams to the best of her ability, ensuring he drank and occasionally checking to ensure he didn't get a fever. It seemed to help his body relax, though she didn't know what effect it had on his mind.

Just as she was about to leave, he shot up, eyes opening so fast she nearly jumped. He seemed disoriented, as anyone would be after having slept for two days strait. He looked around, and seemed to recognize two things. The first was clearly his surprise at awaking at all, clearly not being dead in the field like he must have imagined. The second thought, which forced its way in after he recovered from shock, was the question of where he was.

As he began to look around, that look of confusion still on his face, the girl smiled. At last there were results. "So… you're awake?" She said, putting the bowl back down on the makeshift counter before walking towards him.

The boy looked at her, opening his mouth to speak. It took him a moment before he formed the words he was looking for, and even then it was haltingly careful. "What… Where… am I?" His voice seemed a lot softer than other warriors she had met. She was glad that even with the battles he must've seen, a heart remained.

"I found you unconscious on the plains, so I brought you here. I'm glad to see you've recovered." She responded to his questions simply and with a smile. It seemed best to try and put him at ease right now. The last thing he likely remembered was the battle, after all.

The boy felt his stomach, realizing there was no longer a wound. _That's right, I was fighting on the plains. Then that guy came and I… and I… _He then looked at the girl again, his face an impassive mask. "You… treated me?" She smiled, and nodded. He muttered a small, "Thank you." But didn't look too happy. She couldn't help but wonder why. The smile he had while sleeping was now gone. It made him look less like the good person she hoped he might be.

"I'm Lyn, of the Lorca. You're safe now. Might I ask your name?" She asked, hoping to ease the sudden sense of tension she was getting.

He tried to get out of the bed, but she sat on his legs, not giving him a chance to attempt to stand. "I was going to bow." He said, obviously making a bad joke.

She shook her head. "You're not well enough yet." She replied. He let out a sigh, which she felt released the tension that had been building.

"I feel fine. And… my name is… Will." He said, resigning himself to it. That name held no pride for him anymore. He would have preferred to leave unnamed. Now he was indebted to her as well.

"Will, huh? That's an… odd sounding name…" She said, putting a finger to her chin pensively. Then changed tact at the speed of light when she saw him look up at her, one of his eyebrows raising. "But pay me no mind! It is a good name!" She said reassuringly, and Will couldn't help but give a little smile at that.

"I… could tell by your attire that you're a traveler." She said nodding to his clothes, which were by the bed. It was then he noticed she had changed him out of his clothes, and put him in something that seemed to resemble a tribal outfit. Actually, he was absolutely positive it was one, as it was very similar to what she wore.

"Yes… I'm sorry about changing you, but I assure you, I only did it to treat your wounds. I didn't want to watch you die, and those clothes were covered in blood." He looked at his clothes against the wall, but then looked away just as quickly, remembering what had happened before Death came knocking at his door.

"No, I thank you. Seems I've barely avoided death… again." He said the last word so quietly, that Lyn, as the girl was called, couldn't hear it. She seemed to take that as a cue for her to get up, starting to do things around the hut. He laid back down again, debating what to do. It was clear she wasn't about to let him leave right now, though he wanted nothing more than to be out of the girl's hair. He did note that he couldn't hear anything though. He thought for sure he would hear the sounds of animals or other people by now. He wondered if this girl was all alone out here. It seemed like a silly notion to him, but it was a possibility he couldn't discount.

"Would you…" Lyn began, taking a seat next to him once more, and now with two bowls full of fruits he assumed was going to be a meal. "Would you tell me your story? How did you end up on the plains?"

Will looked at her, taking the bowl that was offered. He ate a piece of fruit slowly, considering what he was going to say. Looking up at Lyn once more, and finishing the piece of fruit, he opened his mouth to speak. "I…" He began, but noises coming from outside the hut stopped him from continuing, as both his and Lyn's ears perked up, listening intently.

"What… was that?" Will whispered to her, hoping it was perhaps the village or animals in a fight or something simple. Lyn dashed his hopes when she shook her head.

"I'll go take a look." Before he had a chance to disagree, she was gone.

"Don't do anything stupid…" he found himself saying, as though she could hear him.

Lyn was aghast at the sight that greeted her outside. Bandits were fortifying a position near the Ger. She ran back inside, looking for her sword. She really shouldn't have left without it in the first place.

"What is it, Lady Lyn?" Will asked. He was already on his feet, and the tattered green cloak had been thrown over his shoulders. His clothes lay useless in the corner, as the shirt clearly had a hole in it that made it useless to wear. To be fair, he didn't look bad in it, and she didn't mind him using them for the time being.

But hadn't he just called her Lady Lyn? How did she look anything like a... proper lady? It was weird being called that, especially by the guy with the worn out green cloak. Oh well, like she told herself before, now just wasn't the time for that.

"Bandits! From the Mountains!" She said, finding her sword and picking it up. "They must be planning on raiding the local villages! If that's all of them, I think I can take them…"

Will looked at her curiously for a moment, before that soft smile she had seen in his sleep crossed his face. "You may, but let me come too."

Lyn looked at him curiously. "Can you use your sword? Your arm is still in bad condition. I also doubt your stomach wound is fully healed, in spite of the Vulnerary I used." She said. Will shrugged, putting one hand on his stomach.

"I'm not sure, but I won't know until I try. Besides, I can help with tactics. I'm a tactician by trade. At least, originally." He tried to smile, but Lyn continued to look at him skeptically. "Well, I can also use magic. Though my magic is slow and hard to use, so it might not work in my current condition." He said, which seemed to be a nice hole he was digging himself into.

Lyn looked at him again. "An odd profession…" He gave her that look again, the slightly depressed angry look. How he pulled it off, she had no idea. Yet it still made her feel bad. "But I could use your aid. Very well, we'll go together!" She said, and Will followed her out of the house.

"There's only two, right? Let me see where they… aha!" Will said, peeking from behind one of the trees near Lyn's home. He had good eyes, obviously, as they were some distance away. Then again, he was a tactician. He must have had good eyes to become one.

"Stay close, I'll protect you." She said, and Will nodded. It was best not to push his luck right now. He didn't really feel much like fighting people, anyway.

"Alright, the bandit by the Ger looks like the leader." He began, and she was taken aback. She didn't know he knew what a Ger was. It wasn't exactly a common thing you find in cities. "There's one grunt we'll have to take down to get to him. Think you can handle it?" He asked, and she nodded, almost indignantly. Of course she could.

The two closed in on the bandit, and he spotted them, and closed in himself. Will swerved to the side as Lyn charged, drawing her sword. The battle was brief, as Lyn's sword made mincemeat out of the loser, but her arm was cut pretty well by the bandit's axe before he was killed.

"Lady Lyn, you okay?" Will asked, as she looked at him. "Yes… I'll be fine." She said. Will shook his head. She was a bad liar. "I have an extra vulnerary, hold still for a second." She did, and Will applied the medicine to her arm, healing the cut almost instantly.

"Thank you, Will." She said, somehow thinking she'd say that many more times before they parted ways. That was a strange feeling, as he would probably leave by tomorrow, despite any protests she made.

They hurried to the Ger, and once again Will stepped back as Lyn charged. "Who do you think you are? Do you think you can take on Batta the Beast?" Said the leader, and swung his axe. Lyn's sword blocked the blow, but she was forced back a good ways before she could charge again. This guy was strong.

Lyn brandished her sword once more, and flourished it as she leapt over Batta's head. It was quite a move that even Batta seemed surprised by it as well, and received a large gash on his back for it. With a roar that almost seemed inhuman in nature, he swung around the handle of the axe, catching Lyn in the face with it as he attempted to remove her head. Lyn fell to the ground, seemingly to have fainted from the blow. Will let out a sigh as his good arm gripped his sword, drawing it from its sheath. He wouldn't have enough energy to use the dark power infused in it, nor was it likely he could outdo the man in strength. To be honest, he didn't like these odds.

"After I kill you, I'm going to make this girl wish she were dead." Batta said, licking his lips in a truly disgusting fashion as he eyed the young man with his unsteady grip. "Everyone regrets crossing Batta the Beast!"

"If you truly think you can kill me, go ahead and try it." He answered. The bandit attacked with the ferociousness akin to his name, but as his axe swung down, the young man leapt forward and into him, shoving his sword deep into the man's gut. It was the stupidest thing the man had ever seen, but also his last, as his axe barely missed Will on its downswing. The axe lodged itself into the ground, and it was followed quickly by its user.

"Diagonal attacks are usually the best way to go. You can at least hit your target if they dodge to the side or try and duck, and it's much easier to adjust the aim of then a pure downward power swing or a side swipe. It also would have prevented me from stabbing you in the gut." Will said, as he squatted down to push over the man's body. He could see the tip of his sword protruding from the man's back even then.

He dragged out the sword, letting out a sigh. His arm was screaming at him in protest now, and he might need to drag Lyn back to her hut. "If you still live. Use your last moments to look back on all the atrocities you have done. Do that, and despair."

* * *

Lyn's eyes fluttered open. She had really been knocked for a loop. As she looked around. She saw Will, holding a bloodstained sword. She also noticed that above him loomed Batta, who had a pool of blood forming at his feet, but was screaming in rage as he brought his ax down upon the tactician's weak guard.

"Despair, you tell me? Batta gets what he wants! What reason have I to despair! I'll kill you, and the girl, and anyone I see fit! Everything I want belongs to me!" He sputtered in his rage, blood splattering out from his mouth as well, making the man look truly like a beast.

It was at that moment his words suddenly became gurgling nothingness. As when she had gotten behind him before, Lyn had moved like the wind behind the crazed man, sticking her blade through the area she knew would finish him for good. Lyn pulled out her sword with a small flourish, as once more Batta's body hit the ground. This time he was dead for sure.

Will sighed in a tired way. "Thanks, Lyn." He said with the warming smile. She felt a little glow inside from the compliment, though a part of her was also angry.

"I'm truly sorry Will. Here I said stay behind me and then you ended up forced into a fight. You might've been killed if not for my awakening." Lyn said, her eyes crossing over Batta's corpse. She noted that aside from the gash on his back, there was a hole in his back presumably made from Will's sword. That must've been why the man was bleeding everywhere even as he attacked the Tactician. Looking closer, she noted the wound would have killed any ordinary man, and in fact Batta would've likely died after two or three more axe blows. Perhaps he had not needed her help after all.

"It's alright. I wasn't expecting him to be that… resilient." Will responded. "I'm glad you didn't get any blood on you though. I was worried if you had and were unconscious it would be my turn to change you. Somehow I doubted you would've taken as kindly to it."

"I see no reason for you to think that." Lyn said with curiosity in her voice. "It's hardly healthy to sleep with blood on you."

Will looked at her for a moment, seemingly mystified by her statement. Then he chuckled a bit. The sound was mirthful and full of that glowing feeling he had given off before. "Of course it isn't healthy. I should've known." He said, as he continued to chuckle a bit before wincing. "Agh…. Oooo, hurts to laugh right now. Sorry to ask, but could you lend me a hand? I think I might've overdone it."

Lyn smiled, before offering him a hand. He took it gratefully, and she pulled him to his feet, before taking that arm around her shoulder. Though somewhat reluctant, Will didn't stop her from doing so. He'd need a bit more rest before he was going anywhere.

For a reason she couldn't explain, this made Lyn very happy.


	3. A New Journey

**Author's Note**: sort of a big change there for the end of chapter two. One big thing I'm aiming for is to try and dial back Will and make him as minimal Gary stu-ish as possible. Unfortunately, I am prone to bouts of it as I like the characters to be strong. Also I may just write myself into a corner and end up having characters escape death a little too conveniently because of that. But I will do my best to avoid it. Let me know if you have any good suggestions on how to avoid the gary stu trap. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 3: A New Journey

"Now, I'd like you to meet your partners." The man in the black robe spoke, his voice that same low growl that still sent shivers down his spine.

"I work alone." The young man responded to him in a monotone voice, managing to hide his fear.

"I order you to work with them, Will." The growl said, this time a little bit too dangerous for Will to respond in the way he would like.

"…Yes, my lord." His managed, though the voice was now quavering slightly and his head was bowed.

"Good, now come with me." The growl said, motioning down a passageway.

Will followed the man even though his every instinct told him not too. In the next room were two other men staying prominent in the room, with two more in the corner, along with a young girl.

"Now, this is Jaffar, the angel of death. And this… this is Mark, the angel of deceit." The man said, pointing to the two in the middle of the room.

"…" The quiet one must be Jaffar. There was a tattoo on his arm that gave it away.

"I think it'll be fun working with you." And that was Mark. Had to be, as he was the other one left.

"This is Will, our angel… of despair." The man growled out, motioning for Will to introduce himself.

"I… It… pleasure to meet you both." Will said, giving a very small, quick, bow.

"Now... I'll leave you to it." The growling men said, before walking back down the corridor. The entire room remained silent until they could no longer hear his footsteps. Finally, everyone in the room seemed to breathe again. Minus the man named Mark, who seemed perfectly fine the entire time.

* * *

Will buried his head into the bucket of cool water he had gotten from the nearby stream. It was a good way to force the sleep from his eyes, among other things. He and Lyn had ended up talking far more than he had originally thought they would, staying up long past the setting of the sun. However, he had woken before the sun had even risen, and now it was just beginning to rise into the sky. He supposed it was time for him to go. If he left without telling her, though, he had a feeling he'd regret it. So he entered the hut once more, spotting her asleep on her bed. She had offered to share it, but he had flat out refused, sticking to the floor until she gave in.

"Still sleeping?" He asked, walking over to her, and tapping her lightly on the cheek. She groaned, and opened one eye wearily. He couldn't help but laugh at her slightly confused look.

"You… stayed?" She asked, and he shrugged. "I thought for sure you would go. Even though I tried so hard to stay awake, I fear more than one night without sleep isn't good for me."

"I suppose I'm too blame for that. Way to make a guy feel at fault." He said, picking up his sword, which was deposited by the door. How had he gotten over there so fast? "I'll go get some more water for you. Least I can do."

"Wait…" She said, sitting up, he looked back. "Can I… talk to you?"

He smiled. "In a bit." He said, using a smile to try and calm her down.

She shook her head. Something told her if she let him walk out he wouldn't come back. "I need to talk to you now." She replied. She had a very big favor to ask as well, and she couldn't very well get him to accept if he didn't hear it.

"Well… I mean…" He trailed off as Lyn stood up remarkably quickly. She strode right at him, pulling him outside even faster than she had stood up. He didn't even get a real chance to answer her.

"You have… experience in the ways of war, I see." She said, and Will looked down, avoiding her gaze.

"Yes, I'm… sorry for not telling you, but…" Will trailed off again. He was finding it extremely hard to answer her without giving things he didn't want known away.

She shook her head again. "You didn't have the time or need to tell me. We're perfect strangers, after all."

His smile turned sad. "That's true, I suppose." He replied.

Lyn turned, and smiled. "But you stayed last night, even though you could have left before waking me. Did you do that merely to repay your debt to me?" She asked.

His face was downcast again. "I… I just don't like seeing people die. Or hurt, really. And you helped me in a time of need." He sighed. "Leaving in the night is something a bandit does. I didn't want you to think of me like those men from yesterday." She did smile at that, as the young man rubbed he head bashfully. It was rather cute, actually. "Though I am planning to head out today."

"Then let me travel with you!" She nearly shouted suddenly, taking him aback. That was not what he had expected at all. It was also something that came completely out of nowhere.

"Travel… with me? Why would you want to do that? I mean what about… your family?" He had a feeling he knew what had happened, but… he needed to ask the question anyway. Just in the off chance his hunch was wrong.

"You… want me… to get… permission…" She said, her face growing sadder with every word. "From my… parents?" She finished, her voice growing very quiet with the last word. She looked down at the ground, obviously recalling something that was better off forgotten.

Will looked at the ground as well; it was as he had surmised. Hers were the only clothes that were truly neat, only her possessions seemed in order. "What… happened?" He asked, almost too afraid to ask.

"They died… six months ago." She said. Obviously, she had been waiting to tell someone about this. She had... needed to talk about it. "My people… I don't…" She was having trouble. Will knew he needed to prod this, though a part of him wanted to back off. This could either get her to stop, or prevent her from getting killed in a battle because of her feelings.

"A surprise attack?" He said, as gently as he could. It was the only tactical move he could see that would kill off an entire tribe of skilled warriors like the Lorca. Lyn had told him enough stories the previous night for him to understand that. Lyn nodded, which made his heart sink.

"I'm the last of my tribe. Bandits… they… killed. Many. Too many." She swallowed, and Will took the chance to collect his thoughts.

Will looked at the ground. Near here, the only bandits that could coordinate an attack on a whole tribe, and wipe them out that efficiently, were… "Taliver?"

She looked at him, tears in her eyes, and nodded. "My tribe was scattered." She was almost sobbing now. "I wanted to protect them… but I was too young to be of any use." She was crying, probably remembering the deaths she had seen. The murders that had happened before her very eyes. "They… wouldn't follow me."

Will looked at her, and put a hand on her shoulder, keeping her from falling into him. She didn't look like she was about to break down though. He wondered about that. From the way she talked about it, the attack couldn't have been more than a year ago. Perhaps the Lorca tribe considered sixteen too young, as she was seventeen now. It might have also been because she was a woman, or perhaps her skills failed to match her father's. Any one of these factors could've been it.

"No." She straightened up, and Will removed the hand in slight confusion. She wiped her tears away forcefully as Will seemed unsure what he was supposed to do or say. "No more. I won't cry anymore. I'll avenge my people." She looked at the rising sun for a moment, then back at Will. His hand was still in the air after leaving her shoulder, and he seemed completely at a loss by this point.

"Will, I want… I must, become stronger. I saw what happened to Batta yesterday, you know how to fight in spite of your injuries and unwillingness to admit it. You also know what tactics are best to use. I know that I'm asking too much of you, but…" She looked up at the sky. "To avenge my father, I must become stronger. I need someone to train me, or at the very least to train with! I… I don't want to be alone! Please, tell me you'll let me come with you!"

Will looked at the ground, then at her. He did this a few more times. Apparently a great struggle was going on in his head, though Lyn couldn't know what about. Eventually he looked up from the ground. "Alright."

She nearly jumped for joy, and nearly hugged the man. Words couldn't describe how happy she was at this moment. "Really?"

Will nodded. "But… I have no clear destination in mind. You should know that much, at least." His thoughts were a mystery, though perhaps it was due to the fact that he should've been dead that he had become so willing to take her.

She shook her head. "We'll figure it out! I know we can! You'll be my master tactician, and I'll be your fearless warrior! We can do it! Right?" She said, smiling brightly at him.

Will couldn't help but smile. "Sure, but we'll need a lot of supplies. Clothes, food, shelter, and all that kind of stuff will be needed for a journey. And as you can probably tell… I've none of it."

Lyn dashed back into her home, presumably to get some supplies. "Why am I… so stupid…?" He whispered to himself with a sigh, before he saw her coming out again. "That was fast." He said as she approached.

She held out her left hand. In it, was some money. He added it to the residue left in his pockets. They had a fair amount combined, and if they could get some work as mercenaries… he shook his head. He'd do the job to get the money. He wouldn't let her become involved in something like that… he hoped. Honor demands sacrifice and all that. He could also get them money while laying low. Lyn would likely attract too much attention, though for the life of him he couldn't say that to her.

"Here's what I've got." She held out two blankets and a package which seemed to be a tent. "I've also got some food inside, but it won't last us long."

Will pondered on this. "Hmm… We'll have to stop in Bulgar then, to get some more supplies. Bulgar IS the closest town from here, right?" He asked in slight confusion. She nodded to him in response, then returned to her hut.

It was only a short time later that Will had secured the food in one pack, and the living supplies in another. It would still be some rough traveling, not to mention long… and dangerous. He didn't like to think about the last part. Especially since in his latest lapse of sanity he had agreed to let Lyn come with him.

"Lyn?" He asked, as he picked up the heavier bag, and she the lighter one. Even if he was injured, he refused to give her the heavier bag. Especially since until his arm fully healed Lyn was the only real fighter they had if the two ran into trouble.

"What is it?" She replied curiously, looking over at Will. She understood why he wanted the heavier bag, but a part of her wishes he'd let her handle it and focus on recovering.

"You sure there's only one tent?" Will asked, slightly apprehensive about the answer.

She nodded to him. "Yes it is. Why, is that a problem?" She said, and Will shrugged. "During hunts, the tribe often had many people in the same tent. I see no problem with it. And you did say we had to travel lightly."

Will sighed, shaking his head. "You were definitely raised on the plains, Lyn."

* * *

"Where am I now…?" A young boy asked, seeing that no one was around. Darn it all… "Wait… is that a village? Yes! Oh thank heavens; I needed a place with food and shelter!" And he ran towards it, not seeing the man sneaking up behind him…

* * *

A young girl landed, hopping off her Pegasus, into what looked to her… like ruins. "Oh no… what happened here?" She looked at her Pegasus, but it made a whining noise similar to a horse, as though to say it didn't know. "But then… Lyn!" She gasped, and hoped back onto her Pegasus, taking to the sky once more.

* * *

Two knights continued their journey, now nearing the city of Bulgar. It had been a long one for them both. "Sain, don't go flirting with the ladies here. You know our mission."

The green clad knight laughed, and then responded to the red clad one. "I know, Kent. We must find the tribe of the Lorca, and request that Lady Madelyn and her family attend a reunion at Castle Caelin. But how else shall I gather information?"

"How about you try asking?" Kent responded, feeling like giving his companion a good kick. "And remember to buy some new weapons. Our old ones are running out." Sain sighed, but nodded in response, showing that he understood.


	4. Footsteps of Fate

**Author's Note**: Moving right along now, but I have a good friend who will be my editor, and of course call me out on the million stupid things I'm going to do. For example, for my story it kind of works fine, but did you know the Lyn actually lived in a yurt? I didn't. I don't even know what that is. Also, in case you haven't noticed, _italics are for character thoughts_, and "Are for dialogue."

* * *

Chapter 4: Footsteps of Fate

It wasn't just those two; the other three were also very interesting people. Will supposed they seemed... normal. He enjoyed talking to them, though he couldn't be sure why. He also remembered those conversations better than whatever it was he talked to with the other 'Angels'. It would always be about the latest job with those two. However, after the hooded man left Will approached the other three rather than the first two.

"You don't seem like those two." The tallest of the three said, jerking a thumb towards Silent Mcgee and Smiling Jerkface. "I'm Linus, pleased to meet you."

Will bowed in greeting, a form of respect he recalled learning in his childhood. "I'm Will… it's a pleasure to meet you."

The next one to speak was the other guy, who had facial hair despite his young appearance. Then again, he must have been past his twenties. "I'm Lloyd, nice to meet you kid." From the tone of his voice, Will could definitely tell the man was older.

The other girl, Nino, was a pleasant girl. Will was about fourteen at the time; so by his calculations she must've been about ten or so. Four years of difference. Yet she was also doing work very akin to his own. Or as she claimed it to be, 'work for her mother'. One of the brothers said something that made Will wonder about the truth of Nino's statement. "They're complete opposites, I swear…"

Of course, shortly after that was his first mission for the man in black, and he came to despise him and most of the Black Fang organization… and very quickly at that.

* * *

Will sighed as he closed the journal chronicling his adventures. This one was of his past work, which he considered a reminder to himself of what he had done, and what needed to be… repented for. He didn't plan to let anyone else read it, especially Lyn. Though he surmised he'd feel the same even if he was traveling with more people. This was for his eyes.

He put the book away in the hidden pocket of his traveling cloak. Luckily Lyn hadn't found it when he was unconscious, and she hadn't washed this particular piece of clothing either. He supposed she thought it so tattered that washing it would be futile. It also had managed to stay blood free in comparison to his previous garb. Lyn had been kind enough to let him keep it, though it was likely because he had nothing else to wear. She had informed him that it used to be her father's, so he was under strict orders not to get injured or damage it. He also touched the necklace hidden inside the very same pocket as his notebook, from which hung a small silver ring with a unique engraving on it. He sighed as he withdrew his hand, and exited the tent.

Lyn was outside, stretching. "That was a good night, wasn't it, Will?" She said cheerfully, Will merely shrugged. He closed the second notebook Lyn had let him 'borrow' as a new journal for their travels. Finally he had finished the entry about the strange girl on the plains, who had saved a complete stranger.

"What did you write?" Lyn asked, after they had managed to pack up and started walking down the path they were making through the plains.

He raised an eyebrow. "You really want to know?" he asked, and she nodded. He opened the book again, and read the new passage. It was okay for her to know about this book. She was the main subject, after all.

"**The Tactician Will and the Swordsman Lyn, a strange pair on an even stranger Journey. With no set destination, they leave the plains of Sacae for Bern, to purchase supplies. Unknown to either of them, Lyn will discover something that will change her life forever**." He smiled at the last part. Now that he wasn't writing down lists of people for various reasons, he felt like embellishing the journal a little with his own brand of humor.

"I will?" Lyn asked in surprise, which made Will laugh.

"No, I made that part up." He said, waving a hand in front of his face. "But it would be interesting, wouldn't it?" He said with a shrug.

Lyn shrugged as well. "I'm not so sure about that…"

* * *

Sain sighed dejectedly. "Why must I wait here while Kent asks around?" He stared at another lady that was passing by, noting her rather shapely legs as he did so. The women noticed him looking and sped up at an alarming rate, muttering something about 'perverts these days.' He sighed again. "I only like to appreciate true beauty…" He looked up and this time saw a truly beautiful girl, with long green hair that was tied into a ponytail, and traditional Sacaen garb. It brought out the color of her eyes, and it didn't hurt that the slits on her skirt showed a generous amount of leg. Next to her, however, was a young man that looked to be about her age. This might be a difficult one to approach. Let it never be said that Sain the valiant was a coward, for they would be most incorrect.

"Will, over here!" Lyn shouted excitedly, running into the square like a little girl on a field trip. Will couldn't help but chuckle at her antics.

"Careful, Lyn! This is the biggest city in Sacae, after all. We don't want to get separated." He jogged over to her, which made her giggle as he seemed very awkward at it.

"Don't worry; I don't plan to get myself lost. Besides, you'd come look for me." She said with a small and knowing smile.

"Don't know about that. Don't need a companion who gets herself lost first chance she gets." He replied, and she whacked him playfully on the arm. "Well, maybe we should split up and meet back here. We need a lot of supplies." He said, pulling out the notebook, and checking the list he had made for them on another empty page. An extra tent was at the very bottom… if they had the money. An extra one would be useful. For many things. Mostly piece of mind. For him. He was nervous sleeping in the same tent as a young woman. He never claimed to be girl savvy.

"Oh my heart, what a dazzling vision of loveliness! Wait, O beauteous one!" At the sounds of ridiculous praise, both Lyn and Will turned around to face the green knight who was approaching. "Would you not favor me with your name? Or better yet, your company?" He said, clearly speaking to Lyn. Both she and Will's eyebrows shot up in bemusement. Though confusion and annoyance were a close second and third to it.

Will couldn't help himself. He cleared his throat, causing Sain to turn towards him. "Where are you from, Sir Knight, that allows you to speak so freely to a stranger?" Lyn's eyes flashed, showing now she knew what the man was. She hadn't learned much on the plains about Knights, maybe. Less still about womanizers.

Sain put a hand on his chest in a dramatic way, bowing low as sweeping his hand against the ground. "I thought you'd never ask! I am from Caelin, home to men of Passion and Fire!" He said, ending it with a dramatic curl on the word 'fire'. Will was just about to break out laughing now. This guy was too much for him. Was he practicing a comedy act?

Lyn crossed her arms over her chest. She was not amused. "Shouldn't that be 'home to callow oafs with loose tongues'?" She said. Sain, or green-clad-knight-quickly-becoming-annoying-perver t to Lyn, acted as if an arrow had pierced his chest at her words.

"Ouch! And yet, you're even lovely when you're cruel." Sain replied. Did this guy ever run out of pick-up lines? Will was silently breaking up now, making sure to stand behind Lyn as he did so, so she couldn't see him laughing.

"Come on Will, I've no more to say." She huffed, and Will followed her angry form away from the knight. He also managed to stop himself from laughing further, seeing how grumpy Lyn had gotten. Maybe she was wishing the compliment had been more genuine. Though the man likely meant it all the same, despite his womanizing antics.

"Tell me what we're supposed to get." Lyn said, looking rather scary as she said it. Will calmly repeated the list to her, though he felt somewhat apprehensive about her angry state. Hopefully she wouldn't blow up in a poor store owner's face. He would only be doing his job.

"Sain, how many times must I tell you to hold your tongue?" The red clad knight said, appearing behind the now somewhat depressed Sain. Apparently he had been witness to quite a bit of the conversation.

"Kent! Why so severe an expression?" He asked, earning a good knock on the head with the hilt of Kent's blade.

"If your manners were better, then I wouldn't have to be so severe! We still have a mission to complete, Sain!" Kent then went on a rant, and Sain conveniently noticed a group of pretty women talking across the street. He'd worry about Kent's lecture later. Why listen to the same knightly spiel when he could go talk about the weather with some pretty women? It wouldn't be his best conversation starter, but it was something. He would've walked towards them, but Kent grabbed hold of Sain's collar and dragged him away, still lecturing away.

* * *

Will couldn't help but smile. Lyn's anger hadn't cooled down, but it was proving to be more amusing the longer it lasted. She was mumbling dark things that didn't sound very pleasant for anyone to herself, and quickly whizzed them through all of their shopping. Now he could see that their way out of town was blocked not only by the green knight, but a red one as well.

Sain finally got fed up with the lecture. Kent had a bad tendency to ramble to him about knightly duties. "I know Kent! But how could I remain silent in the presence of such beauty? It would have been discourteous to her!"

Kent sighed, putting his head in his hands. "What do you know of courtesy?" He asked with a sigh.

"Excuse me, but you're blocking the road. Mind moving your horses?" Will asked as politely as he could.

Kent turned and noticed that their horses were indeed blocking the road as the young man said. "Of course, my apologies." He moved the horses, but when the girl passed…

"Pardon me but… have we met… before?" He asked curiously. He had seen that face before. His mind flashed back to past days in castle Caelin, but when he tried, the memory escaped him.

As Kent wondered to himself, he failed to keep a proper tab on his partner, and predictably Sain said something unbelievably stupid. "No fair Kent! I saw her first!"

Lyn was at the boiling point. Just when she thought maybe Sain was the exception rather than the rule. "It seems there are NO decent men among Lycia's knights! Come on, Will." And with a tremendous 'humph' she pushed past the two knights with Will trailing behind.

"W-Wait, it's not like—" Kent tried to say, but both of them were gone before he had even begun to talk. "Sain you lout!" He shouted, turning at least ten other heads in the square, and smacked his partner on the head.

"But… but I thought you were…" Sain began, as though it were perfectly natural to assume that Kent's intentions were unvirtuous in nature.

"I. AM. NOT. YOU." Kent said, each word ringing with anger and a full gallon of venom. "Now come on, I suspect she might be…" He trailed off, getting on his horse and riding off.

This took a moment to sink in with Sain. When it hit, he nearly jumped in surprise. "You think she's our mission? You're joking! Wait up!" Sain said, realizing his comrade was already out of the gate, and following as fast as he was able.

* * *

After getting out of town, the two had managed to walk unhindered for two or three minutes, before Lyn stopped him. Will, taking note of this, closed his eyes to listen. They both heard the thundering footfalls of several people. "Someone's coming." Will said, looking at Lyn.

"Could it be those knights from town?" Lyn asked him. Will shook his head, since the sound was coming from in front of them, not behind. It was hard to tell, but the sounds were clear enough for them to assume that much.

"These men are out for our blood." He said sadly, recognizing the feel of the air when a battle drew close. Suddenly several axe men appeared, their footfalls directed towards the two. Both drew their swords, though Lyn took a front position while Will floated towards the back, noting he still couldn't hold the sword with both hands yet.

"You're Lyndis, ain't ya?" Said the one that seemed to be the leader, as he pointed an accusatory finger at Lyn. "Well, ain't you the pretty one… too bad. The things I'll do for gold…" He said, shrugging his shoulders at the loss.

Lyn seemed to be at a loss for words as the men retreated, and the leader called out his men. There were many of them, too many for one warrior and cripple to handle alone. Some were already approaching their position, even as Will moved them slowly back towards the trees. _This might be a little tough in my condition…_ Will thought to himself, looking over the battlefield. He'd have to take a moment here to assess what they could do. As he closed his eyes, he suddenly heard the sound of hoof beats, and opened them again. _Does the enemy have Cavaliers?_

"Hey, there they are!" Both turned to see the knights riding towards them, weapons drawn. "You there!" The Green clad one shouted, pointing at their enemies. "Such numbers against two? Cowards, every one of you!" He had been the one that shouted at them.

Kent looked at Will and Lyn. "Please, stand back. We will handle this." He said somewhat grandly as he brandished a sword.

Lyn, who had been quiet until now, found her voice again. "No! This is my fight, stay out of my way!" Kent seemed to consider this, looking particularly hard at Will and his injuries. He could swear this man was familiar as well, though for an entirely different reason than the girl. His eyes narrowed, noticing the man was also injured. The Sacaen woman may be able to fight, but certainly not him.

Will turned to Lyn. "Hang on a moment Lady Lyn." He turned to the knights. "How about this. Allow me to direct you. I'm a tactician by trade, and should be able to pull us all through the battle safely. Would that be alright? It's either that or we'll end up getting in each other's way."

Sain and Kent looked at each other, before nodding. Kent spoke to Will first. "Very well. I am Kent, knight of Lycia." This man seemed very serious to Will. He must consider himself a true knight. It meant he would likely have no issues with commanding him. "My companion is Sain. We shall follow your orders for this battle." Will nodded in response. At least they readily accepting him for now. That would be enough.

Will closed his eyes once more, letting his mind eye go to work. In his mind the battlefield once more took on a grid form. He discounted himself as a unit for now, as his injury would be too debilitating for him to fight. This left three for him to direct. The enemy had approximately five members, all of which were using axes. _Enemies charging position. Improvisation for that portion. Swords best option. Lyn and Kent have clear advantage. Sain only equipped with lance. Likely going to injure himself in a show of chivalry. Plenty of trees leading to the enemies. Use it for cover. Lyn able to take out two without a scratch. Have knights cross the far bridges. Use Sain for the lone fighter, Kent for the two in the back._ He opened his eyes, glad the fight had been laid out so plainly by the boss at the start. Had it been a sneak attack, things would be much worse.

"Will, yes? Let me impress my beauteous one! Let me attack first!" Sain said, causing Will to raise an eyebrow.

"Not yet. First, we take care of the first wave." He took out a piece of rope he had bought in town, and threw the other end to Lyn, who caught it. "Right, let's go!" Will said, charging forward. They held it taut and high, knocking down the first attacker. Then they brought it down low and tripped the next two. Following this he tossed the rope to Kent and Sain, who wrapped the two bandits to a tree, making them useless as they had now been disarmed. Lyn finished off the one she and Will had knocked down. First wave down.

"Now go!" Will said, jumping onto Sain's horse as the man galloped forward. Sain was impressed by his agility, jumping off right before Sain reached his goal and vanishing into a nearby bush. His lance flashed, but the man dodged it easily.

"Damn… I missed?" He questioned himself, and Will came up closer, ruining his cover immediately.

"Sain, use a sword!" He called out.

"But the lance is more heroic! A knight must look heroic!" Will's sword flashed, and the bandit's axe fell, along with his hand. Will clutched his arm in pain immediately after the strike, he hand't expected the pain to be quite so severe. He really shouldn't be using his sword anymore.

"Take fighting more seriously or you'll end up on the wrong end of a blade." He stated, as the man fled with his bleeding stump. Sain looked saddened as he looked down at the ground. Actually, now he was beginning to look more sheepish.

"Truth be told… I forgot to buy one." Sain said, and Will sighed. To both of their surprise, Kent rode up the very next moment and passed Sain a sword, all while engaging another enemy. He was certainly impressive. "Here, take my spare, and use it to attack next time!" He said, and Sain took it without word. Will took the chance to switch over to Kent.

"You anticipated that, didn't you?" He whispered shrewdly.

Kent nearly smiled. "Yes, he always does that. He spends too much time dallying with women, and then complains afterwards that it was very important. He's almost more trouble than he's worth. Almost." Will also smiled. The knights seemed to be doing alright. So he left Kent and headed straight for Lyn. As it turns out, she had been interrogating the wrapped up bandits with no success, and was only now returning to the fray. There was no answers yet as to why they wanted her dead.

The two quickly caught up with the knights. "There are a lot of trees around here, so keep to them if you can." He advised, and all three looked at him in a confused manner. "The trees provide cover, making it harder to hit you. But be wary, they can use it against you as well." Sain gave a nervous chuckle. He had already had trouble with it, apparently.

"I told you not to charge in so rashly." Kent said. They noticed that Sain had a rather large wound on his arm.

"You worry too much." Sain replied with a laugh. Kent sighed, and rode off.

"He worries too much." Sain muttered again, holding his arm. "He'll grow old before his time."

Lyn sighed before walking over to him. "Why have you not healed yourself?" She said.

Sain suddenly tried to recompose himself into the most elegant of knight poses, and Will once more had to stifle his laughter. "Ah… to wrinkle that perfect brow of yours with worry over me! I must…"

Lyn's face fell into a scowl; making it much harder for Will to stifle his laughter. "I was going to give you a vulnerary, but you seem fine, so never mind." She walked away.

Sain chased after her, spewing something like "No, Wait, I'll take it! I'll take it!" Will chose to move ahead and join Kent once more. Maybe he'd be of more help there.

Kent had just finished off his second brigand. The trees did make it easier for him to avoid them, but harder to hit them as well. His training was truly coming in handy, though their numbers were larger than he had originally expected. As the next brigand lumbered towards him, Will appeared beside him. "Time to press to their leader, I think." He said, and Kent nodded. Kent watched as Will took out a brigand with a dark magic spell, which blasted the man but only left him unconscious on the ground. The two continued across the narrow bridge. His plan had completely fallen apart since the brigands except for the leader had all moved. To be fair, he should have been expecting that.

"Thank you, my kind angel." Sain said, looking at his now healed arm. Lyn just shook her head and finished off her second Brigand. Sain then reared his horse and charged forward, allowing Lyn to leap onto the horse behind him.

"Will went with Kent?" Lyn asked, and Sain shrugged. "I suppose they must be having the leader begging for mercy by now then."

Unfortunately this wasn't true. Kent had been held up by a brigand, so Will figured he would go on ahead and have Kent follow shortly, but this man wasn't like fighting Batta. He was a lot faster and stronger, even if Will wasn't injured. His spell had missed and his sword had been knocked away with the ease of one fighting a newborn babe. Thankfully, he heard the galloping of hooves from both sides. Scrambling out of the way, Will was grateful the man turned to face the two charging towards him.

"Accursed knights, always tampering in others affairs." The man said as Kent and Sain rode at him with weapons drawn. Lyn came over to Will, grabbing his sword along the way and returning it to him. Will gave her a pained smile as he watched the battle unfold.

Kent lashed out with his sword first, but the man dodged before swinging his axe in a wide arc, catching the side of Kent's horse. The exact same thing happened to Sain, though Sain stubbornly decided to strike out with a lance instead of the sword he had been given. Both tumbled to the ground, but just as quickly recovered, jumping to their feet as Kent brandished his sword, and Sain drew his.

The man seemed to have the upper hand now. Sain seemed to have reopened his wound, and Kent was treating one of his legs rather gingerly after the fall. The man likely would have pressed his advantage, if not for the battle cry of the Lorcan tribeswoman that stopped him. Lyn charged his position, her sword held high. For an instant, Lyn vanished from sight, and the three men could've sword they saw three Lyn's strike down at the man in three entirely separate places at the same time. Lyn appeared a moment later, sheathing her sword. _Like hell she can learn anything from me._ Will thought to himself in a bemused way.

The leader fell to the ground, his head severed from his body, and two large puncture wound where his lungs would be if the sword was driven deep enough. The only remaining bandit threw down his weapon, running away as fast as he could while shouting something about "There were only supposed to be two of them…!"

* * *

Will smiled. "That's the last of them. Good work, everyone." He gave Lyn a congratulatory pat on the shoulder, before turning to the knights. Now that the battle was over, it was inevitable for the four to face each other.

Lyn also turned to face them, focusing her attention on the knights after hearing Will's whisper of "We'll need to talk. Later, of course."

"So, you two knights of Lycia…" She began. "You were going to share your story with us? At least, that's my assumption as to why you chased after us."

Kent nodded; his formality went with him everywhere, apparently. "Yes. We have ventured from Caelin, in Lycia. We come in search of very certain someone." He looked very pointed now at Lyn. Will was beginning to get a bad feeling about this.

Lyn didn't know anything about this Caelin, but apparently Will did. The flash of recognition on his face was quickly followed by speech. "Ah yes… the country beyond the mountains to the southwest?" Kent nodded again, not taking his eyes of Lyn's face.

"We are messengers to the lady Madelyn, who eloped nineteen years ago with a nomad." Kent said, looking very carefully at Lyn as he spoke those words.

This time, the reactions were flipped. Will didn't have a clue who this Madelyn was, but Lyn's voice grew quieter, and much sadder. "M…Madelyn?"

Kent nodded a third time. He seemed to be getting the reaction he wanted. "The lord Marquess's only daughter. Of course, at first when she left he was heartbroken, and declared that he had no daughter."

Sain now interjected. "Then the castle received a letter from her. She, her husband, and their daughter were all living happily on the Sacae plains. The Marquess was ecstatic to learn he had a granddaughter of sixteen years, soon to be seventeen." He smiled reminiscently. "I remember the joy on his face, and in his voice, when he announced he'd suddenly become a grandfather. Her name… was Lyndis. It also pulled at his heart, for it was the name of his wife that passed away at an early age." Sain smiled kindly at that, perhaps remembering the day the Marquess had declared it.

"Lyndis?" Will said, looking at Lyn. She had definitely seemed different than the plains folk he had met before, but he never guessed she was the daughter of a noble. A Marquess's granddaughter, in fact. They were the highest authorities in the Lycian league, the largest collection of free states. Lyn was having a hard time balancing her emotions, as her face seemed to light up while the frown still remained.

"Now all he wishes is to meet his family at least once. We didn't know Lady Madelyn had died until we got to Bulgar a short while ago. Apparently, it was only a few days after she sent the letter." Sain's face fell back into neutral, seeming to not want to intrude upon Lyn's personal moment.

Kent took over the explanation once more. "We also learned that her daughter had survived, and that she was living alone on the plains. When I met you, I knew… I knew that you must be Lyndis."

Will looked up. "How can you be so certain?" He asked.

"You look so much like your departed mother." Kent said sadly, and at last Lyn looked at him.

"You… knew her?" She asked, almost hopeful.

Kent however shook his head. "Not directly. I saw her portraits in the castle, though. The Marquess never took them down, even after claiming he had no daughter."

Lyn looked out over the plains, towards the place where the sun set. She knew in that direction was her hut where she had made a living. She had managed fine on her own before the desire to follow Will had come over her. This all seemed like a lot to take in. Of course now she had to remember Will's notebook, with that silly prediction about her future changing. Somehow it had now become her reality.

"In my tribe," Lyn began, still looking away, "I was always Lyn. But… when I was with my parents… alone… then I was Lyndis." Will walked over, putting his hand on her shoulder again. She grabbed it, and began to cry. She couldn't help herself. She had been alone… and now, suddenly out of nowhere, she had a grandfather. The tears were those of joy. Ones Will felt she rightfully deserved. And yet something was still bothering him.

"But the bandit!" Will said suddenly, and Lyn and the knights looked at him in confusion. "He called you Lyndis too."

Lyn remembered that moment as well, and looked in horror at the knights. "How would he have…?" She started, but Sain cut her off.

"I bet he was a henchman of Lord Lundgren." When the two failed to respond, Sain realized he would need to elaborate further. "The Marquess's younger brother. Everyone assumed that the Lady Madelyn was gone, and this made Lundgren heir to the throne." Sain let out a sigh. "Your existence is a threat to your granduncle's ambitions." He said.

Will removed his hand from Lyn's shoulder as her tears faded, replaced by that fiery temper he had been a passive witness to earlier in the day. "But I have no interest in inheriting any title!" She said angrily.

The knights looked at each other despairingly, but Will came to their rescue. "He won't believe that. Humans are jealous and power hungry creatures. He believes you'll come to take the throne from him. These attempts on your life will continue even if we never go to Caelin."

Lyn looked at him desperately. "But then… what should I do?" Will looked away, unwilling to answer. Kent was pretty sure the reason was because he and Sain were about to change her world completely.

"Accompany us to Caelin. It is the safest path for you." He said, and Sain nodded to reaffirm the point.

Lyn looked at Will again, but he was currently refusing to look at her. She found it a tad annoying in her time of crisis. She continued to think, before finally speaking, though slowly and carefully, as her mind was still debating. "I see… little choice. I… will accompany you." And both knights seemed pleased with this response.

* * *

Later that night Will sat alone in the dark, humming a tune a friend had once taught him. Lyn came next to him, away from the campfire and tents set up by the two knights, and sat down next to him. For a while she simply sat there, and to him hum. She decided it was a nice tune. Eventually though the tune came to an end, and Will choose to sit in silence and continue to look at the moon. Lyn decided to break the silence after it was clear he wasn't going to talk.

"Will… I'm sorry." He turned to look at her, a confused expression on his face. "I know it's not my fault entirely, but still… this changes everything."

Will looked at the moon again. "Well, some things have to change. Fate never seems to move the way we expect."

She sighed. "I suppose, but… what will you do?"

Will stayed silent for a while. This thought had plagued him as well. A part of him told him to leave, to take this chance to vanish for good. Another part of him told him that was the worst thing he could do. That was running away, and he would never face up to the world if he chose to leave. In the end, there was only one thing he could say. "You tell me, Lyn."

Lyn looked over at him. He didn't say anything else, but while looking at the moon his eyes had narrowed slightly. She thought for a while, unsure herself of what she wanted. To force him on a perilous quest was the last thing she wanted, and yet to say farewell so soon after meeting seemed wrong to her. "Well, your companionship would be greatly appreciated. It would ease my journey to have a friend along."

Will laughed. "So, we're friends now?"

Lyn stuck her tongue out. "Got a problem with that?"

He laughed again. She liked his laugh. It made him seem much more carefree. "Fine by me." He replied.

It was silent for a while. Lyn finally spoke again. "It's just that… it'll be dangerous."

Will looked at her. "And you never needed my strength. As little as it is." She looked at the ground, admittedly ashamed of her lie.

"I was… tired of staying on the plains. Tired of being alone. I wanted to see other places. I wanted to go on a journey, make friends…" She said, looking at the moon herself now.

"Well, now you have it." He said, quietly. Once again, silence fell. Finally, Will stood up. "Well, you'd better get some sleep, Lady Lyndis. We've a far way to go."

Lyn looked at him. "You'll come? Truly?" He nodded. "Oh thank you!" She said, jumping to her feet and hugging him, and letting go shortly afterwards, blushing. "Umm… sorry, it's just…" She breathed, and turned to him. "Let me ask you once again, for your friendship and your guidance."

Will smiled, though he had the faintest hint of a blush "You don't ever need to ask that, Lady-"

"Please don't call me that." Lyn said, holding up a hand in defiance.

He stuck out his tongue in return, despite the childishness of it, and went back to humming. She stayed next to him listening again while they reentered their small camp, now with an additional tent for Kent and Sain. Unfortunately, they hadn't had enough for the spare tent he wanted either. Neither of the two had said anything when Lyn had said they were sharing a tent.

"I'm keeping watch for the first shift, you go get some rest." He said, and Lyn nodded.

Before she entered her tent, she turned. "Who taught you that song?" She asked, and Will smiled, though this time she could sense the sadness behind it.

"An old friend. Maybe you'll meet her someday." He said. Lyn shrugged and entered her tent to get some rest.

Shortly afterwards, Kent exited his tent. Lady Lyndis was now asleep, so now was the best time to act. He was about to get some answers from this so called tactician…


	5. Questions and Answers

**Author's Note**: The dialogue from the game I thankfully don't need to change, which has made this really easy up to now. Of course, I know from here on out is where things begin to get hairy. The battles get longer, more characters come into the mix, and I need to rewrite more when it's the side chapters and character dialogues. I'd like to edit a lot and fast, but likely it'll start going slower. I want to say one a week, since that will be the safest bet. Just in case. During the rest of August there may be lots of random updates though. Because no school right now. As it's the only one left, Bold is now the journal entries. Keeping track?

* * *

Chapter 5: Questions and Answers

"I'll teach you the song, if you want. It's really simple. Lloyd and Linus taught it to me, actually." The young girl chirped happily, swinging her feet forward and back as she sat on the chair that was too big for her.

A room. Yes, that was where they were. In the Black Fang's headquarters. He didn't like his team at all, come to think of it. Mark was too mysterious, disappearing and reappearing whenever the mood hit him, an always with that stupid grin on his face. Jaffar would say nothing at all, carrying out his missions ruthlessly and brutally. He had begun to talk more to Lloyd and Linus than those two, and Nino was quickly becoming his best friend in the place. She had the upbeat attitude he needed to keep himself from going crazy.

"Alright, fine. But it'll have to wait until later. We both have things to do." Will answered Nino with a smile, ruffling her hair in an affectionate manner.

"You do maybe, but I don't. I wish mother trusted me more." Nino said with a sad sigh.

"Mother?" Will asked curiously. He had heard of that woman being Nino's mother, but he also remembered how Lloyd and Linus thought the two were nothing alike. Then again, he had never met her, or for that matter he didn't even know her name. Maybe he had met her in passing and just never realized it.

"You know her! Sonia is my mother, of course!" She said cheerily, and Will almost fell off the chair he was sitting on.

"She's your mother…?" He asked incredulously.

"Yup!" She answered, not losing a single ounce of her radiant smile.

"Wow… the Reed brothers are right. Complete opposites…" Will muttered to himself, looking at Nino curiously.

"Hmm? What's that Will?" She asked, seeming to have caught his last statement just barely.

"Oh it's nothing. See you later, Nino." He said, waving it off. He then turn and left quickly. The revelation was a bit too much for him to handle at the moment.

* * *

Will sighed as he poked the fire, making sure it was still going strong. It had only been a couple of minutes since Lyndis had left him, but already the memories were flooding back. He shook his head to try and clear it, and pulled out his new notebook instead.

"Let's see… Man, I don't even know how to chronicle our adventure this time…" He thought about it, before putting his pen to the page. Perhaps free writing would be okay. No one was ever going to read this anyway.

**Lyn did find out something that changed her life forever. She's a princess. Great… just what I needed. Of course, as long as these knights don't recognize me, I'll should be fine. But I'm getting sidetracked. We fought off some bandits that attacked us with the knights' help. Their names are Kent and Sain. Of course, now we also know that Lord Lundgren is out to kill her. So we're setting out to Caelin. Yes, I'm going too. It may be dangerous, and it might even be stupid, but I feel like it's something I must do. First, we have to pass through the Taliver Mountains… Where I bet we'll run into trouble.**

He closed the notebook, sighed, and jumped. Kent was sitting across from him, staring the tactician down. "So, you hope that we don't recognize you, Will of the Black Fang?" He said, and Will's expression darkened. "An internationally wanted criminal, known as the 'Angel of Despair,' and you think we wouldn't recognize you." Will sighed, raising his arms in mock defeat.

"You got me. I submit myself to your judgment and all that. You do realize I just promised Lady Lyndis I'd help her, right?" He said, figuring it was alright to call her Lady Lyndis around Kent. He probably preferred it that way, though Lyn likely wasn't about to let that subject go.

"Yes, that is exactly what I assumed would occur." Kent continued to be serious. "Why did you promise to help her, though? Do you plan to lead us to our deaths?" Kent accused Will, looking across the fire at him angrily.

Will shook his head. "To be entirely honest with you, I just don't want to be arrested and put to death."

Kent retorted in an instant. "And why shouldn't we arrest you?"

Will panicked slightly, trying to get a foothold in the conversation. "I guess… I just…"

Kent pressed the advantage he knew he had. "Why, Angel of Despair, did you help the Lady Lyndis? Why did you plan to let her travel with you? And where were you headed?"

Will looked at Kent. Interrogations were never fun, especially when being called a name like that. "Don't call me that." He said, simply. He knew this may very well be the wrong move, but he couldn't take that name being tied to the accusations.

"Call you what?" Kent said, taken aback.

"I am no longer of the fang. Or of that lifestyle which required me to kill. My name is Will. No more, no less." He said simply, and Kent couldn't help but look slightly curious.

"What do you mean, 'no longer of them'?" He asked, apparently willing to give him the smallest of chances now.

Will looked at him again, the hard look in his eyes barely masking the sadness that Lyn had caught brief glimpses of before. "How could I stay? The Black Fang isn't what it used to be. It never was the organization known as heroes to those of Bern. At least, I never saw that side of them while I was there. If I had seen it, I may not have been so eager to leave."

Kent stayed silent. Will was now off in memories, and was talking without thinking, without the filter one would normal use. "That evil man took over. He's been taking lives senselessly ever since he gained power. I didn't like it, but I saw no other way to live or even a realistic way to escape, and for two years I was a loyal slave. Then, I finally realized what I had to do, even if it cost me my life. Leave." He looked at Kent.

"I'm sure you know what that means, right? I'm now a wanted man by Lycia, Etruria, Bern, Ilia, and the Black Fang themselves." He sighed. "Sacae was the only place left. I hoped maybe they wouldn't care about a random nomad. I thought I might be able to live there, secretly. I've read a lot about living in harmony with the land."

"Why couldn't you?" Sain asked, and both Will and Kent jumped in unison. Neither had noticed Sain join their little circle. Will looked saddened by the revelation. "So you both knew?"

"I merely suspected." Sain said. "Kent was acting strangely earlier, and I figured it had to do with you." Will chuckled, though it was a sad one that neither joined in on.

"Why didn't you think Kent was thinking about Lady Lyndis then?" Will asked, a little curious and also trying to lighten the now rather heavy mood.

Sain laughed loudly. "Because the day Kent finds love is the day Lundgren gives up without a fight." Sain and Will laughed, and Kent ended up shouting something at them both about being 'gits'. Apparently, that was a word.

When things finally calmed down, Will continued. "Well, the reason I couldn't disappear was The Fang. I suppose that would be obvious enough. They tracked me all the way to Sacae. There was a battle… and I was wounded by one of my former teammates." Both looked horror-struck. They never expected that the fang would kill their own, let alone have former comrades do it.

"Wait, I heard there were only three Angels of the D squad." Kent said, recalling what he had been told before they left. "So it was one of them?"

"That's right. Jaffar isn't a talker, and he was the one who was given the task of killing me. But he didn't finish me off, and Lyndis saved my life. The Angel of Death failed." Once again, Kent and Sain looked astonished.

"Am I… going to be arrested? Or did you want me to leave? I suppose at this point I have no choice but to accept whatever fate you bestow upon me." Will said.

The two looked at each other, holding some kind of silent conversation with their eyes. Finally, they both nodded. And turned to Will. "We think you have another reason for coming with the Lady Lyndis to Caelin." They said in unison. It was rather freaky, actually.

"She's the one that saved me from death. Make no mistake; I would be dead if I hadn't been found. But she found me." He said.

"Then I have no wish to send you away." Sain said, and Will looked at him. "You are repaying your debt to the Lady, as is the courteous thing to do."

Kent smiled. "His morals may be different than mine, but I agree. I will not send you away. But we will keep a close eye on you."

Will nodded. He didn't expect anything less from knights. "There is… one other thing. One you both should know."

They looked at him again. "First, you have to promise not to tell Ly—I mean, the Lady Lyndis." He had almost slipped there. It was harder to address her formally than he had initially thought.

Both nodded to him, and he continued, lowering his voice as he did so. "How do you think Lundgren found out about the still living granddaughter?"

Kent shrugged. "I thought he got the information when we were sent away."

Will shook his head. "No. I believe he had already attacked the Lorca by then." Both looked at him in confusion, not understanding his statement. "Why do you think the Taliver bandits attacked her tribe?" Will prodded, trying to push them into figuring out the answer themselves.

Sain looked horror struck again. "You can't mean…"

Will nodded. "Lundgren paid them a large sum of money, is my guess." Kent now looked towards Caelin in a dark manner. He must've been sending a thousand curses upon Lord Lundgren's name. To be frank, he was as well. Judging by Sain's glowering look, all three of them were wishing Lungren nothing but the worst.

"But then how would he know Lady Lyndis survived?" Sain asked him.

Will looked into the fire, throwing another piece of wood onto it before continuing. This part was entering the speculation phase, but he saw no other feasible answer. "Mark." He said, and both Kent and Sain snapped back to attention.

"You can't mean, the Angel of Deceit?" Kent said. He had wondered why, if the Black Fang killed their own traitors, only one angel was sent to deal with another. He assumed perhaps Will was the weakest, but if the other was merely on another mission at the time, it explained quite a few things.

Will smiled ruefully. "We're famous, huh? Guess that happens when you have that much blood on your hands. My guess is that he's got Lundgren's ear. He might have even… silenced the Marquess. And any of his loyal subjects."

Kent and Sain again looked saddened. "So… you plan to stop him." Kent said, in slow revelation.

"My only options are to run, or hound the Fang as doggedly as they will me. I'll put an end to it myself, if I can. At least then I can live life proudly." He said, clenching his fist. His mind seemed made up. Of course, right now one arm of his was still completely useless to him, so perhaps it was an attempt to convince himself to fight.

"Then we will trust you." Sain said, and Kent nodded. Will looked at them both.

"Kent, Sain… you're both idiots." He laughed, and they joined in. "But I thank you." He said, after they had finished. Both nodded. Kent decided to get some sleep, but Sain stayed up with Will. His guard duty still hadn't even really begun, but he appreciated the company.

* * *

"You know, it might be best if you stay with the Lady Lyndis. For as long as you are able." Sain said, and Will looked at him.

"What do you mean?" He asked curiously, seeing a playful smile play around the knight's face.

"She asked you to stay, didn't she?" He said, before dropping the subject entirely. "So, about the more knightly visage of a lance versus a sword. I think it's key you understand the difference for our futures battles together."

Will stared into the fire. "You are a confusing person, Sain." He said.

Sain laughed heartily. "That I am. But I like it that way. It makes me… unique. I will also note that I look quite dashing with a lance in hand."

"I suppose you might have a point. About the unique part." Will said while stretching, before falling back into the grass of the field.

Sain took this chance to appraise the sword that hung by Will's side. Strangely enough, he felt himself having a Kent moment. He could swear that blade was familiar. "You know… I think I've seen that sword somewhere before." He said, and Will quickly covered it up with his cloak again.

"Y…Yeah? Well, they make a lot like them. It was a gift from my dad. And it's not the most unique of swords. I just maintain my weapons properly is all." Sain looked at him curiously. The question he was burning to ask was answered by Will in a heartbeat. "No, my Dad's dead. So is my Mom." He said, answering Sain's look as best he could. "And no I don't remember them either. It's been way too long for that."

"Yes… I figured as much. You would be with them if you had any to return to. In fact, you may have just never joined The Fang in the first place. Do you have any relatives?" He asked, and Will smiled ruefully.

"Well… I've heard that I may possibly have a grandfather…" He said, and Sain jumped on it.

"Why not ask him for aid? Surely you must get tired of running all the time. You are still young, after all." He said, waving his hand grandly in the air.

"What, me? You and Kent are both like, twenty at most!" Will said, causing Sain to laugh.

"And yet that makes us men! You and the Lady are what, seventeen? That makes you children for another year." He said brightly, earning him a muttered 'stuff it' from Will before they fell silent.

"My grandfather… disowned my father. At least that's what I have written in one of my journals. It was a long time ago. Before I was ever born." He said. "I seriously doubt he even knows I exist. Even if he did, it would likely only be some sort of painful reminder."

Sain smiled. "Ah-ha! There is your other reason for helping the Lady Lyndis I was looking for. You are glad that her grandfather acknowledges her life. You feel like helping her get a family again."

Will smiled, a smile that Sain could see had a strange warm glow to it. It was much better than his pain or sad smiles. "Yes… I suppose so. Sain, how old are you and Kent, anyway?"

Sain smiled. He could handle this. "Me? I am twenty, as you guessed. My birth month is of light, January the thirteenth. Kent is actually twenty-one though; his birthday is of Stone, February the ninth. We know of Lady Lyndis's birth date as well. It was included in the letter we received. She is of the Moon, the twenty-first of March. She is currently seventeen, no?"

Will nodded. "Yeah, same age as me, once my birthday hits. I'm from the month of Anima, October the seventeenth." He said, smiling.

"Ah, no wonder you seem like such a complex character. Anima's tends to be." Sain said shrewdly, and Will laughed.

"You know that's all a joke, right? No one really fits in their month symbols…" Will said, clearly recalling a rather terrible fortune telling book he had likely read once upon a time.

Sain looked at him. "Well, I suppose I am not the devout follower of St. Elimine I should be…" He grinned sheepishly at the statement. Though the fortunes didn't have much to do with Elimine, a lot of 'true believers' thought only if you followed your birth month code while worshipping properly were you a devote follower.

They both laughed again, and continued to share some stories from their past that now seemed funny to them, as they passed their watch for the night. Sain shared much more than Will, who clearly had trouble thinking of too many funny stories. He did get a good laugh from Sain about Lyn not knowing what sharing the same tent meant, though.

* * *

Meanwhile, far away at castle Caelin, Lundgren was really pissed off. No real way of putting it all noble and stuff, he was just flat out pissed. He stormed into the dining room where his consulate was waiting for his arrival. "Well? You told me they could handle them! But the Pegasus knight messenger just returned with word that they failed spectacularly, and now Kent and Sain have joined up with her! Not to mention a little bastard of a tactician…"

The other man's eyes flashed. "This tactician… does he have a name?" He asked. Lundgren continued to spew out his anger. If he had been eating anything, the table would be covered in food and spittle.

"Yes, and I heard it was one of your men! Name's Will, or something like that. And now they're headed this way!" He raged, slamming his fist down onto the table. The other man didn't even flinch at this gesture.

Instead he smiled. "Don't worry. If they make it pass the Taliver Mountains, not to mention the Ganelon Bandits, we'll deal with them then. Your chief concern right now is that brother of yours." The man seemed to glide over to Lundgren, still smiling in a sweet, yet really creepy way.

"Yes… of course. The poison… he is continuing to drink it, and to my knowledge he has no knowledge of it." Lundgren said, his anger subsiding ever so slightly.

The young man smiled. "Good. Now, go sit on your throne and let your loyal man Mark take care of things for you." He bowed graciously, but his eyes never left Lundgren's face.

"Yes… my throne… ha…" Lundgren said, and walked away.

Mark stood in the now empty room, his smile becoming one of pure evil. "Well Well Well… Will, seems my tactics will be tested against yours. Consider this my challenge to you… and it ends in death." He laughed, and in the outside corridor two maids were busy cleaning. As the sound filled their ears, they covered them, before beginning to laugh as well. Soon, the two would be carted off to a man who specialized in drug induced sleep, as the two had laughed for two days straight without eating or sleeping.

* * *

"I said don't worry, I promise I'll be back. And I'll have the money." A man said, as he pulled his pack over his back. "We need the money for your operation."

The younger woman grabbed at him. "Please, you don't need to go! I need you here with me!" She sobbed, but the man looked away.

"I'm sorry Natalie… but this must be done." He said, lifting her up into a bear hug that was as warm and gentle as the man that was leaving.

"At least… at least… come back safe." She said, kissing him. He smiled as he opened the door. "I promise." He said, and then he was gone.

* * *

The young man woke up, and saw many people over him. "ugh… huh? I'm not dead? What happened…?" He sat up.

"You were mugged by those thieves, the Ganelon bandits. They left you for dead." One of the girls said, smiling to ease the man's worry. The man looked around, and noticed only his bow. So they took it all… damn.

"My name is Wil… and thank you for helping me." He said.

The three in the room smiled. "The innkeeper is giving you free room until you're fully recovered, so rest up, before you try to go anywhere."

"Thank you again…" He said, before falling back in the bed, and into sleep once again.

"He's soooooo cute!" The girls squealed, once they had gotten out of the room. This gave them something nice to gossip about for a while.

* * *

The girl continued to fly, but she was getting very tired. "She wasn't in the city Huey… that means she might be gone… gone forever…" She said, and Huey the Pegasus snorted. "I know, they told me they saw her leave with some strangers, but…"

The Pegasus gave a worried snort this time. "Yes, I'm worried too." She said, gripping her lance tightly. "By my name, Florina, and as a Pegasus Knight of Ilia, I won't rest until I know she's safe!" She said, thrusting it in the air. Then she almost lost her balance, and clutched tightly onto Huey. "although… it might be good to get some sleep after all…" She said, and Huey gave a tired nod in agreement.


	6. Sword of Spirits

**Author's notes**: Looking back, I'm relatively okay with what I did. The wording needed work, but the story idea wasn't too bad and I don't think the character interaction were bad either. I just have to avoid overdoing the Tactician in terms of fighting whenever I can. I do miss the poll though. I like seeing what people's preference is for pairings. But I guess you read this to see my story, not my being influenced by others. I guess I'll see where the wind takes me.

* * *

Chapter 6: Sword of Spirits

"So, you, Lloyd, and Linus all get together on the days off to sing and dance?" Once more he found himself talking to the green haired girl, both of them having met up and had time off to do whatever it was they wanted to.

"Yeah, and we have a bunch of other people too! Dad comes sometimes, though he's always grumpy. And Uncle Jan comes, and Uncle Legault…" Nino counted off the people she knew using her fingers. It didn't get past her first hand though.

"Really?" Will said, actually curious about this gathering. "Could… I come?"

"Sure! You sing really well! They'd all like you!" Nino said, smiling brightly as Will flushed. He didn't generally sing in front of others.

"What about Jaffar? And… Mark?" He asked this question with some trepidation. Jaffar didn't talk, so he wasn't so bad. Except when he was in kill mode. Then Will liked to stay away. Mark was just… creepy. There was really no other word for it.

"Oh, Mark's boring. He never bothers to come." Nino said, and Will smiled slightly. What was creepy to him was boring to her. "Besides, he always disappears and stuff."

"I see… so I'm not the only one that noticed that." Will said, a little bit relieved. Most people didn't talk about the man at all, so it was hard to find out any information about him. He had a feeling Jaffar knew at least a little bit about him, but the man rarely said more than two words.

It had only been a few months now since he joined the fang. Scratch that. He liked to think that to avoid realizing the alternative. Truthfully, it had already been half a year since his inauguration. Nino was by this time the only thing that kept him sane.

"Yeah, Mark's really weird. Jaffar's nice though! He always comes and listens to me sing! Of course, he stays after too, but he doesn't say much." Nino pondered, putting a finger to her chin.

_So Jaffar goes to the gatherings as well… that's not so bad, I suppose._ Will thought, looking out the window.

"You'll come and hear me sing too, right?" Nino asked, bouncing up in down in anticipation.

"Sure, I'd be delighted!" Will said, turning to her with a warm smile, before ruffling her hair affectionately.

"Yay! I'll make sure to sing an extra good one!" Nino said, giggling happily.

* * *

Will sighed, putting his hand to his head. _Another memory like that. I guess there's not much else to remember. I wonder how Nino is doing, though. I hope she's managed alright._

"Will, are you sure we should allow this?" Kent asked, as Will rode behind him on the horse. Lyn refused to sit behind either Kent or Sain, insisting she walk. At the moment she was still up ahead of them though, so her confidence was well founded. "This shrine seems quite far out of the way of our current route."

Will shrugged with a small 'I gave in' smile. "She said it was a Sacaen tradition to pray at the altar of the Mani Katti for a safe journey. How could I tell her 'no' then? It would be saying she should stop being Lyn…dis." He added. It was strange to have to rework the way you said a name in such a short time. He managed fine when it was Lyn herself, maybe because he got a small kick out of seeing her pout. But when he was talking about her to others, he seemed to slip.

Sain rode next to them at a steady stride. Lyndis continued to lead the group, staying far ahead of the three as she followed the path towards the shrine. Will opened his journal, and began to write. It took him a minute or two to finish, but once he looked up to see Sain glancing curiously at the notebook from his horse.

"What did you write, fair tactician?" Sain asked politely, and Will obliged him. It would be good for a laugh later at the very least.

"**A small altar lies on the outskirts of Bulgar. This ancient temple, sacred to those of Sacae, has long been known for its powerful bond to the world of the spirits. Before starting their journey, many people come here to pray for safety during long journeys. At this place, Lyn's hand will be directed to a grand inheritance**."

"That's a tall lie." Kent said slightly irritated, but Will just laughed. "You shouldn't write such things in a record book."

"I can write them if I want." Will responded defensively. "Besides, not like I'm going to publish them in a book or anything." He held the book close, as though afraid Kent would try to snatch it away.

Sain laughed along with Will, though Kent still looked sour. "No need to worry, dear friend." He said, as Will dismounted from the horse, and jogged forward to catch up with Lyn. "He is still young, after all."

Kent sighed in a manner that suggested he wasn't entirely sure. "A young man with our lives in his hands, and the possibility of the Black Fang at his back."

Sain sighed as well, though his sigh was for an entirely different reason. "You still do not trust him? Even after all the things we've talked about with him?"

Kent looked at him dubiously. "Did you expect me to? I do not think he intends to harm us; admittedly I don't even want to think that. And yet… I still have my doubts."

Sain shrugged, he knew better than to press the issue when Kent was in one of his moods. "You'll learn to like him, I'm sure. He's quite a good storyteller. Just wait until he relays the appearance of the strange knights to him and Lyndis."

Kent looked on as his companion rode ahead to catch up to the other two, one eyebrow raised. "Am I the only one with any sense?" He muttered, before hurrying to catch up as well.

"So… this is where the Mani Katti is enshrined?" Kent asked Lyndis curiously, and she nodded in return.

"How quaint!" Sain cried, and the other three smiled. They actually agreed with that assessment, truth be told.

"It is nice to see some customs are still observed." Kent said, and Will smiled to himself. Kent was only saying that. He doubted highly the knight's mind had changed so soon after lodging his complaint to the tactician.

* * *

Inside the altar things were not going well at the current moment. A man and his thugs were wrecking the shrine, overturning several of the small tables used for holding items. "Stay quiet, old man, unless you wish to die." Said the leader of this band, holding his sword against the throat of the old man that ran the shrine.

"I will not give you the Mani Katti! It is a sacred blade under divine protection! It cannot be removed from its place of rest!" The old man said while gazing at the Bandit defiantly. Obviously this old man was braver than the bandits first thought.

"You fool!" The leader said, laughing loudly and letting it ring through the empty temple. "What good is a sword if you don't use it?"

"Use it in Battle? Sacrilege!" The old man shouted back, barely managing to be heard over the man's laughter.

"Shut it!" The leader said, coming dangerously close to opening the old man's neck. "I am Glass! The gods fear my name! My swordplay is legendary! And if I want this sword, then this sword I shall have! Now, move!" With a rough shove, Glass pushed the old man into the nearby wall, grabbing the blade as he did so. However, when Glass tried to pull out the sword from its sheath, the sword didn't even budge. He tried again, but the sword refused to move even an inch. Glass could feel his temper rise as he tried several more times to remove the blade from its sheath, all to no avail.

"The spirits have judged you." The old man chuckled in this small triumph. The sword would never allow a person so obsessed with strength to wield it. "They have found you wanting, and have rejected you."

Glass snapped, his patience having already been ruined by the blade's refusal. "Listen, you senile old fool!" He growled, turning toward the temple caretaker. "If you value your life, you'll get out of my sight!" He then dragged the old man into the innermost chamber, throwing him in and then locking the door behind him. He returned to his men, still seething with rage. "Miserable spirits! I care nothing for you! I'll tear this altar down stone by stone if I have to! Men, tear this forsaken place down to the ground!"

* * *

"Excuse me…" A young woman asked, stopping the two knights and travelers that were passing by. "Are you headed east? To the altar of the Mani Katti?"

"Why, yes we are." Will said, confused as to why the woman would ask such a specific query of passing travelers.

"Then you must help the priest!" She cried, stepping towards them. "A band of Ruffians headed there not too long ago! They plan to steal the holy blade!"

Lyn immediately turned and began striding towards the shrine, at a pace very few without horses could keep up with. "I won't allow it!" She said as her anger began to flare.

Kent and Sain began to follow, but were stopped by Will. "Hold on a second." They both turned to Will. "There are some houses south of here. I'm going to go gather some information. Send Lyn over the mountains if you get near the shrine before I return." After they nodded in affirmation, he left. He must've felt useless. His arm still hadn't healed properly, and having fought in the battle previous to this one, likely was trying to avoid the fight altogether this time, choosing to entrust the fight to them.

"I suppose he's a tactician, and not much of a fighter. Especially at the moment." Kent said, though a small part of him thought perhaps the man would try to escape.

"He could have still sent one of us. We'd be much faster with our horses." Sain said indignantly.

"Lyn needs us more." Kent responded, which shut Sain up. He had the good grace to admit when he was wrong, and followed Kent without further protest. They could see the outline of Lyn up ahead, and rode quickly to catch up with her, before the fight began. Lyn was already using a broken down fort to create a fortified position, and bandits were assaulting the position. Lyn's blade had already become a blur as it struck out, felling an axe man with relative ease.

"Whew, thank god I'm in shape." Will said, as he began his trek back. The buildings had been small and in a nice cluster, so he had been able to gather information quickly. The thing he hated the most was that he didn't know anything about this area, and the bandits were likely holed up in the shrine, which could cause difficulties for them to infiltrate it.

"Will! What did you find?" Lyn shouted at him from the fort. He rushed over, unwilling to yell what he had found. Sain meanwhile had locked his sword against a bandit's axe, and after a nice parry lopped the man's arm off. With a scream the man ran off, as many did once they lost a limb or their weapons. Sain wisely decided to let the man go instead of trying to chase him down.

Apparently, Kent and Sain had filled her in about the mountains. No need to explain that part, then. "Kent, Sain, there's a crack in the altar wall. If you bring it down, you can get inside much easier and quicker than going over the mountains. Lyn and I will have to go across the mountains there, and come from the other side." They all nodded in agreement with his plan. "Then let's get to work!"

"There's the entrance." Will pointed out, and Lyn nodded. She looked at him, but he shook his head. "I promised to avoid fighting until I healed. I'm not the best promise keeper, but this is all you so long as you think you can handle it." He said.

Lyn smiled at him. "Don't worry, I've got this covered." She charged in, sword raised high. Will followed behind her, finding the first chance he had to vanish into the nearby shadows. His eyes darted about the room, trying to gather the most information in as little time as possible.

Sain found the crack in the wall. It had only taken a few minutes, but he figured Lyn and Will were likely already over the mountain. "Over here!" He called out, and Kent came over to look closely at the large crack in the wall.

"Let me handle this." Kent said in a commanding tone, and took very careful aim with his sword. Using everything he had learned, he targeted the weakest point of the wall, and lunged. The wall was struck, and the crack enlarged before crumbling to dust, leaving a large hole in its wake. The two could easily get their horses in through it. However the next moment Sain leapt in front of Kent as the raging cry of a bandit could be heard from the hole they had just created. As an axe swung out from the dust, the ringing clash of metal could be heard.

Lyn flipped backwards, avoiding two opponents that attacked her at the same time, both axes smashing into the shrine floor uselessly as she did so. She couldn't see Will from where she was, but she figured that was alright. Raising her sword high, she struck out, piercing one of the axe man's skulls with her blade. As she withdrew it, she noticed that her blade had cracked. That wasn't a good.

_Three enemies in sight. Two axe users. Leader likely one with oversized sword. Possibly to compensate for something. No matter. Axe users should not big a problem. Kent, Sain, and Lyn all have swords and adequate dodging skills. Leader another matter entirely. Likely highly skilled with a blade. Arrogance likely best way to unravel him. Failed to take possession of the Mani Katti as well, from the look of it. _Will's eyes opened, and he looked over at Lyn. He noticed her sword was cracked. That most definitely wasn't good.

Sain was disappointed with himself. He now owed Kent once again. Having locked his blade against the bandit that had tried to ambush them, Sain felt confident he could dealt with him, but at that moment he had been grabbed and dragged off his horse by another bandit, who raised his axe high to strike. Kent had saved the day though, striking the first down and then fighting the second, though he took a large gash to his left leg from the second's axe attack. Kent now sat on the floor, a vulnerary applied to the wound. He wouldn't be in the fight for the rest of the battle, though.

"You go take down the leader, Sain." Kent grimaced.

Sain looked saddened by this. "I'm not sure I'd be able to do it." He admitted. He had failed to face simple bandits in combat, a leader seemed like something he shouldn't even bother with right now.

Kent shook his head. "We are knights of Lycia, correct?" He smiled, and Sain took up his lance, eyeing the leader now with a very different eye. This fight was his.

"Who the hell do you think you are? You think you have a chance of opposing me?" Glass yelled at the approaching knight, placing his reliable steel sword on his shoulder in a show of grandeur. Sain readied his lance without any unnecessary flourishes, never taking his eyes off the man.

Lyn finished off the other bandit, but now her sword was clearly inches away from breaking. Will sighed. "We'll have to hope Kent and Sain can manage it. We'll get you a new sword as soon as we can."

Lyn nodded sadly, before tossing the now useless sword to the ground. It hadn't been anything special, but she had always liked that sword. It had been easy use and one of the few things salvaged from the Lorca camp. But all things broke eventually. "You think they've gotten through the wall?"

"The wall didn't look to sturdy to begin with. Any part could have been brought down with the right amount of force." He elaborated. "They're also quite strong, so I imagine they'll be close to wrapping things up." As if in answer to this, they could hear the clash of weapons coming from the next room over. They hurried inside, and were

Sain dodged the third strike, gritting his teeth at how fast this man truly was. However, whenever he attacked, there was a rather large opening for a counter attack after his swing, as his follow-through was severely lacking. However Glass's blade flew into the air, and the man tackled Sain head on instead of fighting with his weapon. There went Sain's hard won opening. He struggled with the man, who was trying to pry his lance from his fingertips, but Sain held on with all his might, and the two tumbled around on the floor, struggling for the upper hand.

It took a large effort, but Sain managed to push Glass off him with a well-placed kick to the gut. The man tumbled off, and Sain sprang to his feet, twirling his lance before striking out. The man's last thoughts were of his sword, which clattered uselessly to the ground, twenty feet away.

Lyn, Will, and Kent arrived on the scene, Kent with a freshly healed wound. They all saw Sain, as he drew his lance from the limp body of Glass. "You did it Sain!" Will shouted, jumping up in the air with a rare show of glee. Kent gave a small nod of approval, a smile on his face. Even Lyn looked mildly impressed.

"But of course! Did you expect any less of me?" He asked, smiling broadly. His usual swagger seemed to have returned.

"Of course not." Will said, chuckling. "Sorry to ask so soon after your victory, Sain, but we need to assess the wall. We'll need to try and make some repairs." Sain gave a small sigh and shrug, before following. Kent stayed behind with Lyn, though he was still being careful with his injury.

Lyn curiously noticed a key sticking out of the pocket of the dead man. Picking it up, she looked around until she spotted the only closed door in the place. Deciding to try the key, she was surprised when the door unlocked. She was even more surprised when an old man burst from the room, scrambling over to a sword that lay on the floor, still in its sheath. He picked it up gingerly, examining it for any sort of damage.

* * *

Will and Sain examined the wall, but were pretty sure there was nothing they would be able to do about it. Sain however looked over at Will, a knowing look in his eye. "So… what is it you wanted to talk about?"

Will sighed, patting the stone on one side of the wall. It seemed sturdy enough, perhaps they could use a tarp and pay for repairs. Kent and Sain had brought a trust fund with them, after all. "I've got a route for us, which will get us to Caelin much sooner." He said, and Sain looked happy.

"Why do you talk like that's a bad thing? It's great news!" He said, tapping the other side of the wall. This side also seemed very sturdy.

Will shook his head. "It's not. To get to Caelin sooner, we'd have to travel through…" His voice trailed off. A part of him didn't even want to continue. Thankfully Sain seemed to have caught the hint.

Sain looked out of the hole and towards the mountains. His eyes opened wide as the realization hit him. It was little wonder Will was reluctant to go. "We have to pass through the Taliver Mountains?" He asked.

Will nodded slowly. "You know why that may be the worst possible choice in the end."

Sain looked back into the shrine. Lyn was now talking to the priest, while Kent sat nearby to her listening in on the conversation. "You are the tactician, so it's your decision. If you're asking for my opinion though, I'd recommend a group meeting. No matter what we decide, I doubt the Lady would like being left out of the loop. Kent would take it on the chin, but I know he'd mope on his own if we didn't include him as well."

Will nodded, and sat down next to the hole. There was a light breeze entering that he was glad for at the moment. "I'll… wait here. Why don't you go keep Lyndis and Kent company? They seem to be having a rather important conversation, after all." He said, and looked at the sky. Sain paused for a moment, before obeying his wish. He walked over to Lyndis and Kent, who were just now introducing themselves.

* * *

"I'm Lyn, of the Lorca. This is Kent of Lycia." Lyn said, smiling at the priest. "You're safe now. Are you hurt at all?" She asked, looking at the man's bruises, and the small cut on his neck.

"No, thanks to you… I am unscathed. In mind." The old man said, adding the last part when Lyn began to look skeptical. He patted the Sword, which was now back on the altar. Lyn supposed it was the Mani Katti. "What is important is that this is still safe… I thank you for stopping those thugs."

"Oh no, I didn't do it alone. And please, anyone would do the same." She said, thinking of her now useless sword, and how Sain had killed the leader instead of her.

"If you say so. Nevertheless, as my thanks, lay your hands upon the Mani Katti, and pray for a safe journey." The old man said, smiling. "That is why you have come, is it not?"

"Thank you…" Lyn said graciously, and placed her hands upon it as Sain rejoined them. Before she had time to wonder about where Will was, the sword flashed so brightly the three were momentarily blinded.

Will felt himself smile as he saw the flash from inside the shrine. "So… that sword finally chooses a master." He muttered under his breath, and stretched. He knew now what they must do, for better or worse. The time for thinking was over. At least for now.

"The sword… it's… glowing?" Lyn said, thoroughly bewildered by this turn of events.

"The spirits call to you! You are the rightful wielder of the Mani Katti! You are meant to wield it!" The old man exclaimed in amazement. He hadn't been blinded by the flash, but was now regarding Lyn and the sword with wide eyes.

Lyn's hand lowered, and she stepped back from the altar, shaking her head. "No… I couldn't possibly…"

Suddenly, Will's voice came from the closest pillar. Apparently he had just come in, with that strange smile playing around his face. "It is the sword's wish. If you require proof, try and draw it from its sheath." She looked at him momentarily, and then at the priest. The priest nodded once at her, egging her on.

Lyn placed her hand on the sword, and picked it up. It felt remarkably light to the touch, and nervously she reached for the handle. Gripping it, she began to pull the sword from the sheath. To her surprise it slid out with ease, and she even swung the sword once experimentally, noting that it felt much more at ease in her hands than her previous sword. It slashed through the air with the practiced ease of a master, before she replaced it once more in its sheath. She bowed, offering it back to the priest.

The man shook his head, refusing to take the sword back. "I never dreamed to meet the wielder of the Mani Katti in my lifetime. I am fortunate indeed to see your sword reach your hands." The old priest said, with a bow. "It is now your sword, so please treat it with care."

Lyn held the Mani Katti silently, words seeming to have failed her. She replaced her old worn out hilt, which no longer held a sword, with the sheath of the Mani Katti. It felt more natural at her hip than she expected, it being a legendary sword and all.

"Now go, and face the trials ahead of you. Your path will not be an easy one, and the Mani Katti will only ease your burden so much." The priest said, waiting until all four of them nodded to continue. "Do not worry about the hole. The villagers will no doubt be willing to help an old man." The four seemed to accept this a little too readily, and left through that very same hole, giving the priest their regards as they did so. "Oh dear… how will I get the villagers to help me fix the wall, now that I can't show off the Mani Katti?" He wondered to himself, realizing he might be in a tiny bit of trouble.

* * *

"So… this is the Mani Katti, the blade with no equal?" Sain asked, and Lyn shook her head.

"There are plenty of equals Sain… but Sacae's sacred sword… in my hands… it seems so unbelievable." She said, touching her hand to the hilt.

"Not quite, my lady. There are many legends that tell of weapons that lie in wait, calling out to their true masters to come and find them. I can't explain it, but when I saw you draw that sword, Lyndis… I felt like the sword was waiting for you." Kent said, and Lyn blushed.

"St-stop it! I'm nothing special!" She said, and turned to Will as though expecting him to say something.

Having both eyes closed, he had heard most of the conversation, and could tell Lyn had rounded on him. He smiled at her, before saying something none of them expected. "Look at it this way." He said, opening one eye. "Some weapons feel good in people's hands, while others don't. My weapon, for example, feels very right in my hands. I seem to be the person who can use it the best, and when other people try it doesn't work as well. You and the Mani Katti fit best together. Does that make it easier? I mean, I seriously doubt any of us could just switch weapons at random with each other. Minus maybe Kent."

Kent scowled. "Even I'm more used to my own weapons than others, sir tactician." He seemed to have failed to notice the joke, as Will began to laugh.

Lyn thought about this for a minute. "Yes… it does feel right in my hands… a sword only I can wield… I think I could get used to that." She drew the sword, holding it high to the sky. Will, Kent, and Sain all smiled at the sight. She truly looked like a peerless warrior.

"Shall we continue?" Will said, and with a small group cheer. As they began their march, Will began to lag behind the other three. His thoughts were preoccupied with the conversation that would need to occur that night. He only wondered how he would manage to break it to Lyn.


	7. Path Decisions

**Author's note**: Wow, I actually got a review! Thanks for the advice, so far I've been mostly keeping him out of combat, which seems to be working decently for now. Once he's fully healed we'll see what happens next. The big edits are still down the line as I rewrite these chapters. And edit them. Both really. Also, I just got Tales of Xillia, and have been playing it nearly non-stop. Expect the update to be a little slower because of it. Apologies.

* * *

Chapter 7: Path Decisions

"You're right… Jaffar isn't as mean as you'd think he is. He can actually smile!" Will said with a chuckle, surprised by the events of the previous night.

"Yeah, he's funny. Whenever I run errands, He's always around. I think mom told him to protect me." Nino said, lowering her voice to a whisper in a conspiratorial manner.

This seemed extremely unlikely to Will, but he nodded and smiled all the same. Unfortunately, he had business to attend to. "You know, I have that meeting today…"

"Oh, yeah… that means we won't get to hang out… well, I'll still see you tomorrow, right?" Nino asked, a large smile spreading across her face.

"Of course Nino, I'll see you again soon." He said, smiling that smile she loved seeing so much, and ruffling her hair. With that he left her, walking down the corridor to the meeting table.

One year it had been now since he joined the Black Fang. It was only now that the bastard, or 'My Lord Nergal' as Will was forced to call him, had finally decided to raise the Angel Squad's status. Not that it was really needed since Jaffar had recently become a member of the Four Fangs. Lloyd and Linus both seemed to have mixed feelings about Jaffar's promotion.

"As long as he isn't out to kill us, that's fine. But he's just so… aloof." Lloyd had said, while Linus nodded. "He's dangerous in some ways while very gentle in others. In this case the amount of danger he radiates just outweighs the gentle part of him."

Will had only nodded in response. He couldn't remember everything he did in that year, but it had been a long one. He made it through with the help of these two, Nino, and on the rare occasion Jaffar. The Angel of Death just wasn't quite as deadly as people thought. At least, that's what Nino seemed to think, and Will was ever so slightly inclined to agree.

* * *

Will sat at the campfire, rubbing his temple with a sigh. _That's right… it was shortly after that everything went wrong. I can still remember those missions…_ He shook his head, sighing aloud.

"Bad memories?" Kent asked, poking the fire with a stick.

"You could say that." Will said, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly. He figured it was pretty obvious. "Sain and Lyn back yet?" He asked, and Kent shook his head.

"If they were, we'd already be cooking dinner." He replied.

"True enough." Will said with a shrug. The silence that fell wasn't a heavy one. It seemed for the moment Will and Kent had reached an agreement, one that didn't require words, for which he was grateful.

A few minutes later they heard huffing sounds form the direction Sain and Lyn had gone. Sain obviously wasn't as graceful or agile as Lyn on his feet, her Sacaen heritage and generally hunting prowess making her stamina something even the knights must admire. Lyn was dragging a good sized boar behind her, while Sain tried to help but was rather useless with how out of breath he had become.

"Got one." She said with a smile. "It took us a while, Sain fell down a couple holes, and the boar was pretty attentive around trees. I had to hide in the bushes and attack from below. A well won meal, if I may say so." Will raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed.

Sain staggered over to the campfire, plopping down next to Will. Once he had finally caught his breath, he directed his half glare in Will's general direction. "Next time… you do it." He said.

Will laughed. "But knights are best at a disadvantage, are they not?" He replied, raising one hand in a mock knightly gesture.

Sain smiled slightly, his words taking on a more jovial tone. "That's in battle, my friend. In finding food there are… different rules."

"Really? I did not know that. What are these rules, then?" Lyn asked Sain curiously.

Sain remained silent for several seconds, trying to think of a rule to impose on the warrior princess. Kent shook his head and spoke instead. "There aren't any. He just doesn't like looking so out of shape in comparison to you."

"Ah… it is sad indeed. I cannot impress her with my skill if she is better than I." Sain moaned and Lyn rolled her eyes. She was beginning to understand Sain a lot more after a few days with the man. He was playful, and certainly preferred female company. Beneath that she was able to see now his noble disposition and desire to do what was right.

"Here Lyn, I'll cook the boar." Will said, though Lyn looked like she was unwilling to part with it. "I've got some experience under my belt, and it'll at least be edible. I promise your hard work will not go to waste."

No one argued the point any further. Sain had relayed Will's story of cooking for his team on missions to Kent, so both of them had some faith in his cooking skill so long as he wasn't making the whole thing up. Lyn seemed to assume he had traveled a lot on his own and had learned it during his travels through simple trial and error.

"Check out the perimeter. We can't afford a fight tonight." Will said, and the three all nodded. While Kent, still nursing his injury, went to feed the horses, Sain and Lyn split up in opposite directions to check the perimeter.

* * *

An hour later, they had all sat down to eat. The perimeter was safe, and the horses were settling down in the grass to rest. Will handed out boar to each of them, taking a rather large bite.

Kent seemed to hesitate about eating. "We aren't a great group. Four people against Lundgren isn't going to be enough. Even with the Mani Katti." He said, looking at Will. Since he was the tactician, troop management fell to him.

"I'd prefer to keep our numbers low, at least for now." Will said. "It'll be easy to keep moving if we're not protecting caravans of supplies and soldiers."

Sain nodded. "When we get near Caelin we'll worry about our numbers a bit more. For now, let us focus on what's ahead of us. We have a ways to go before we reach Lycian lands."

They looked at the mountains that were looming overhead. Lyn could swear that she recognized them somehow, but she was having trouble placing them. Perhaps she had only seen these mountains from another angle.

"We'll need to go over those mountains if we're going to get to Caelin faster." Will said, putting down his food. He looked towards Lyn, who also put down her food after a moment.

Lyn looked at him curiously. "Is there a problem, Will?" She asked, noting he tunred away from her to look once more at the mountains.

"If you want to go another way, please tell me now." He said, still not looking at her as he stood up. "Because otherwise… we're going straight through the Taliver Mountains."

Lyn let this sink in for a moment. Of course, what she thought Will must fear wasn't that she wouldn't want to go, but that she'd be too eager for it. It was her chance to take revenge on the people who had killed her people after all. Her family was dead because of them, her friends and life had been ruined. _Does he think it is not right to kill them for what they've done? They deserve it! Now I possess the Mani Katti, and with his tactics we could no doubt take on as many of those bandits as came our way! What is there to hesitate about?_ Her gaze began to turn stony, as she glared at Will.

"I know you want to go to get revenge. It's likely all you've thought of for the past six months before we met." Will said, causing Sain and Kent to look towards Lyn, a mixture of pain and pity in their eyes. Will seemed slightly displeased the role of villain had been forced upon him. "But you can't. Certainly not now. We have to move quickly, and if your attention will be drawn away to them, instead of reaching Caelin…" Will looked down. "I will not lead you to your death, Lady Lyndis."

The silence that fell was heavy only because Lyn continued to glare at Will, her anger easy to see. Kent spoke up after a minute or two of silence, deciding to no longer let his sadness for Lyndis's plight affect him. "We have no chance of killing them in their stronghold; we would need an army of well-trained soldiers to do that, not to mention a powerhouse like Lord Wallace. Two fighters, an injured knight, and a tactician are nowhere near enough."

"Lord Wallace? The old guy that retired a while back?" Sain said, seeming to recall who9 Kent was talking about. "I remember he had quite the booming laugh."

"That's certainly true, but as I said he's retired now, and none have been able to quite match his level of power or command in the general department." Kent said, with a small sigh. He hadn't participated directly, but he had been present at the training sessions for those trying to replace Lord Wallace. None of them had seemed exceptionally impressive to him.

Lyn looked at the ground, grinding her teeth as she attempted to let her anger go. "You're saying… I should let those murderers go?" Her voice was dangerously low and dark for her. She seemed to realize that this wasn't an easy decision to make for Will, even if she didn't like it.

"For now, yes. We're on a mission to save Caelin. You can't do that if you're dead." Will said bluntly.

"Why should I care? That man wants me dead anyway!" Lyn started, getting to her feet. "He might have even killed my grandfather by now! Why should I die there for something that isn't mine, when I can get revenge for what I've lost?" She cried, and Will turned on her.

"Listen to you whining and complaining like some sorry little victim." He said angrily. "You think you're the only one that's lost something in this world? You think everyone else has an easy life while only you suffer? You think no one else has ever wanted revenge?" He asked her dangerously, advancing on her as he did so.

Kent and Sain could do little more than stare. Both Lyndis and Will were about to snap. It seemed there was tension between them, probably from the fact that they were hiding things from each other. Both Kent and Sain had talked to her about her parents, but she had hidden it from Will. She had said they were wonderful.

Then she had gone into how they died. How her father had sent her away on a horse with his dying breath. How she had vowed not to stop living until those murderers were dead. She told them after relaying this… she didn't plan to tell Will. All while failing to see the two also knew Will's story, the one he refused to tell Lyn.

"OF COURSE I WOULDN'T KNOW THAT! I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MARQUESSES AND WARS! WHY WOULD I WANT SOME THRONE? I'M JUST A GIRL FROM THE PLAINS!" She shouted at him, while he took it in stride.

"I didn't say anything about a throne." He said simply in the calmest tone he could manage. She stopped yelling, though her demeanor remained. "I was talking about… your chance to have a family again. Not everyone gets that chance." After finishing what he needed to say he turned away from Lyn, and walked back to the tent.

It took another minute for this to sink in fully before Lyn collapsed to the ground, crying into her hands. She didn't want to cry… but she couldn't help it. He had been thinking of her safety. Only her's. Her chance. Her life. And she had yelled at him. The one person she wanted to trust the most.

"Milady…" Kent began but she shook her head, and he fell quiet. To be honest, he wasn't even sure what he could say to ease her tears.

Sain threw another log on the fire, surprising Kent as he spoke with a tone that was unlike his usually playfulness. "It's hard to build trust, when each of you knows nothing about the other. There is a bond, and yet… it is shaky. The tiniest strain on it might break it." He said.

Kent nodded, deciding this was his best chance to speak. Sain had a strange power to ease the tension in conversations. He was gladder for it now than he had ever been before. "Perhaps you and he cannot tell each other everything. I know he can't bring himself to tell you his past out of fear of being hated. Yet eventually you can learn about each other. Even if it's only one thing at a time. You must…" He trailed off. Lyn got up without speaking, and started to walk away.

Kent and Sain sighed. "Do you think she might…?" Sain began, but Kent shook his head.

"Don't be stupid, Sain." He replied, making Sain sigh.

"I didn't mean THAT… I meant do you think she'll choose to go through the mountains?" Sain said, glancing at the mountains before looking at Kent.

Kent considered this for a minute before shaking his head. "I really don't know. We will simply keep watch… and wait. As knights of Lycia, and perhaps even more importantly… friends."

Sain nodded, and then took his turn to rest while Kent kept watch over the camp. Kent continued to glance at the part of the forest that Lyndis had gone, hoping she would come back soon and he would not have to look for her. Though it was likely best she not return to the tent until Will was asleep.

* * *

_They're right… both of them._ Lyn thought, swinging her legs idly form the tree she had climbed, and looking up at the moon. "I guess we really don't know much about one another at all, and yet…" She shook her head. "I do trust him, no matter what they say. I think we're both stronger than that. We wouldn't let a fight break our friendship up so easily… right?" Despite her efforts to reassure herself, she couldn't help the creeping fear of doubt that entered her mind. After a few more minutes, she swung herself down to the ground, and began her trek back to camp.

Kent looked up. "Milady, you've returned." It was more a statement than a question, but she nodded just the same.

"Yes… Kent, is Will still in the tent?" She asked a little quietly, and Kent nodded.

"I think…" Kent said, glancing at it. The light was still on, so Will must not have fallen asleep just yet. "He's probably forgotten you two are sharing it. He might be drawing up a new route, or battle plans as well." Kent shrugged. "I did not check, to be honest."

Lyn smiled. "Thank you, Kent. Goodnight." She walked over to the tent, and opened it.

Kent watched her go, the smallest of smiles playing across his face. "Good luck, Lady Lyndis."

Will had been lying in his sleeping bag, thinking. Memories and other things sprung to his mind, but the most prevalent thing was what path to take tomorrow. He sighed to himself, knowing that forcing a decision upon Lyndis was the worst way to go. "I will have to go with the Lady's decision…" He whispered to himself knowing that it was sad truth. He was following her as her tactician. She was the leader of the group. What was most important was what she wanted, not what he felt was right.

"Will?" Lyn asked, entering the test. He gave a small grunt, despite himself, to show that he was awake. "Kent said you were probably still awake."

"Bah, Kent knows I don't sleep much. I think too much for that." Lyn sat down as he sat up, both looking at each other.

"You should. Otherwise you'll collapse from exhaustion. None of us want that." Lyn said, and Will shook his head.

"I was never much of a fighter… despite his efforts; Jaffar never was able to teach me well enough for me to be of much use. He did try though. It was… nice of him." He said, and Lyn felt that pull. One in her chest. Yes… she felt pained because once again, she realized how little she knew about him.

"Who's… Jaffar?" She asked nervously.

"He was a friend of mine." Will said simply. Lyn couldn't help but noticed the 'was' he used.

"Was? What happened to him?" She asked.

Will felt it again. That burning desire not to be hated. He would have to tell her soon, too much of his past was wrapped up in it. But… he couldn't do it just yet. He wanted her to reach her goal first. Caelin was more important than his personal feelings. Then he'd tell her, and leave as he would have to. Most likely that day would be the one when he would never see Lyndis again.

"We… went our separate ways." He said slowly, choosing his words.

Lyn thought about this, but bought into what Will had said. "That's too bad. It's always sad to lose a friend." Will nodded, and she noticed he looked less tense now. So that still hadn't been the full truth. "I too, have a friend. Though I don't know where she is now." Lyn said. _Well, a bit for a bit is fair… right? I do want him to trust him, even if I have to give more right now._

"Really?" Will asked, obviously intrigued. This was the first he had heard of anything outside her life on the plains or just simple interactions.

Lyn nodded. "She's determined to become a Pegasus Knight, but she a hopeless case when it comes to doing… well, to put it bluntly, anything with men." She said, giving a small giggle.

Will laid back, a small smile playing across his face. "Hmm… She must be really cute then?" He asked, and Lyn grew angry.

"Why do you say that?" She asked, and Will countered quickly, realizing his mistake.

"I just meant her fear must have a source, and if she was cute and some guy hit on her or something…" He trailed off. Bad lie, but it seemed to have worked. He'd never admit he'd just had a Sain moment.

"Oh, well, it's not like that. I mean she is cute of course, but it's more that she is just really really really really really really really really shy around men of all shapes and sizes. Well, maybe not the little ones." She said, putting a finger to her chin in thought.

Will laughed. He couldn't help it. Of course he stopped once Lyn glared at him. "Sorry… but it will be very hard for her to find any work. Most of it involves at least one man, if not several." He explained, and Lyn couldn't help but nod.

"She's told me about the customs of the Knights to go out and find work before being knighted… it's too bad she can't work for the Ilian guard directly. I really hope she's okay." Lyn said, wondering where her Pegasus riding friend might be on the continent now.

"She'll be fine. I mean, she's your friend, right? People involved with you have to be made of some pretty strong stuff themselves." He said, with the smallest of chuckles.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lyn asked, putting her hands on her hips indignantly.

"Oh uh… Nothing!" Will said, and Lyn laughed as well. The pleasant laughter filled the tent. They continued to make pleasant conversation for a while longer, before they dimmed the light and went to bed.

* * *

"Good… they're doing better." Sain said, as he exited the tent. "Alright Kenty, time for you to go to bed." He said.

Kent twitched. "Do not ever call me that again." He said, and entered their tent. Sain shrugged and smiled widely.

"Whatever you say…" He threw a new log onto the fire, and let his gaze wander over to Lyn and Will's tent.

"About the mountains… let's go." Lyn said to Will from her bedroll, clenching her fist. Will looked at her, and nodded slowly. "Thank you for worrying about me." She said simply, and he nodded again. "And… I promise… I promise I won't run off looking for them." She said, and that got him to smile slightly. "But if they come for us…"

"We squash them." Will said simply in response, putting a fist into is hand. Lyn smiled, and without thinking she hugged him lightly, rolled herself onto her back, and fell asleep. Will shook his head again with a small blush. Lyn didn't realize that was going to keep him up longer than he wanted. Getting up after making sure Lyn was asleep, he grabbed his notebook, and opened it to the newest page.

**The Taliver Mountains it is. Luckily I've got some good strategies written down already, so I'll get some sleep tonight. Hopefully, we won't run into much trouble, and we'll be on our way. I don't want the others to worry, so I'll get some sleep for tomorrow. Then the real adventure begins.**

After finishing his writing, he placed his quill down, and closed the notebook. It seems things had turned out for the best, in spite of the worries he had during the day. Now with Sian, Kent, and the Mani Katti, things had gotten much more interesting. He was certainly glad he had decided to stick around. Deciding he better make good on what he had written, he returned once more to his bedroll, pushing thoughts of Lyn's Pegasus friend, Sain's strange ability to ease tension, and Lyn's hug from his mind.

* * *

Day broke, and many things were happening. The worst part of it was that he was exhausted. But no sleep for him, it was instead 'do this for me' and 'do that for me' and by the saint it was ticking him off. It had only been three days. Three. Days. How he'd make all the way to Ostia, he'd never know.

"ERKY! COME HELP! MY DRESS RIPPED ON A BRANCH! BURN THE TREE!" Came an angry yell. Erk sighed.

"Shut up and keep moving, Serra. And please stop calling me Erky." He said, walking up to the Cleric girl. She had indeed ripped her dress on a nearby branch. Though what she had torn it on was more a bush than a tree. The rip now revealed most of her left leg. "Can't you just sow it back together?" He asked with a bit of a sigh.

"You think someone as important as me has time to sow it?" She said, incredulous that he would even ask that.

Erk sighed as they continued on after he told her in no way was he touching her clothing or person. Serra continued to complain about some random thing or another, all of which would return to her ruined dress. The girl clearly didn't even know how to sow… that was just sad to him. She was a devil cleric. There was no explanation that fit her better. He was doomed.

* * *

"Huey... I don't see Lyn." The young girl cried to her pegasus, as they flew over a mountain peak. Then, she spotted a village. "Hey, let's look down there! If we're lucky, we might find something about Lyn!"

The pegasus Huey gave a tired nod, and headed down into the village. She could tell they would probably need another rest after this. They had been flying for over twelve hours without rest, with nothing to show for their efforts.

"Oh no!" She cried, spotting people below her. She tried in vain to get Huey to move to the side, but it was too little too late.

A loud crash echoed through the mountains, as she and her pegasus landed on one of the men, and the other three promptly jumped at her.

* * *

They had been running for such a long time. Their pursuers never gave up the chase. Neither did they give up their flight. They would keep running for as long as it took. They would not let them have their way. For the one that had rescued them, and then drawn off the pursuers for their sake, they wouldn't get caught again. Not again.


	8. Band of Mercenaries

**Author's Note**: It's pretty interesting to reread these. Of course then I change it quite a bit, but I try to keep a lot of the same tone. I think the only thing I haven't really decided on is pairings, since last time I used a poll. However this time I'm going to try and trust myself and let things develop naturally. I'll just see what happens, I think.

* * *

Chapter 8: Band of Mercenaries

Yes… everything went wrong. That next mission was the hardest he had ever had. He could still remember it now, try as he might to block the memory from returning. The whole battle was spent whispering instructions into Jaffar's ears. The reason for this was at the start of the mission an arrow had landed in both Will's right shoulder and left leg. This made him entirely useless for the fight after that. But Jaffar didn't leave Will behind. He tied him to his back with a length of rope, and continued on.

"Why did you save me?" Will recalled asking him later.

Jaffar had looked away for a moment. "You are useful." He said simply. Will sighed. "And…" he began, making Will look up at him. "Nino would never forgive me." Despite himself, Will could feel a smile spreading across his face. Looking back, that was the day he had decided Jaffar wasn't that bad a guy. It was a shame things hadn't stayed that way.

* * *

Will jerked up, realizing where he was the instant he did so. They had camped out near the mountains, and today they were crossing them. He hoped they would make it in one day. Of course, things might not go so smoothly.

"They never do." He muttered softly to himself. He got up, opening the tent only to see Lyn practicing with Kent. Despite his disadvantage, Kent still seemed to be holding back as they fought. It was little wonder then that Lyn was decimating him.

"Kent, stop holding back." Will called by way of greeting, and Kent gritted his teeth. Likely he was holding back on the off chance he actually hurt Lyn. They were already down two fighters, and Lyndis was his liege. There were quite a few blocks in his way that were his own.

"He keeps doing it! It's so frustrating!" Lyn said five minutes later, as Will walked next to her. Kent and Sain were both only slightly ahead, keeping a lookout. They had packed up camp fast and went on their way, eating the fruit they had found the night before for breakfast.

"Well, he doesn't want to get fired, and you're a girl. He's one of those chivalrous guys." Will said, shrugging. "Take into account his injury, and you'll notice that we've also only got you and Sain if we end up in a fight. Though I'm pretty sure my arm is close to being fully functional now."

"Maybe I'll get Sain, or…" She looked at him, eyebrows raised. "We could find out if your arm is really healed."

"Don't even think about it." He said darkly, and she laughed. "I'll end up throwing it out again. You're way too good."

"Oh come on… I'll go easy on you…" She said playfully, elbowing him.

"That doesn't make me feel any better, you know." He said, with a sigh.

"But you're better than you give yourself credit for." She pointed out. "You have a special sword that you maintain carefully, and a spell tome that aside from one or two knicks is immaculate. I don't see how you can devalue yourself so."

"I don't consider it devaluing." Will said, sounding a little surprised. "I just try to know limitations. As a tactician it's my job. I hate fighting, to be perfectly honest. I never have found joy in the taking of life. Once I push past that, however, I also have poor stamina, so when facing a large number of opponents, I quickly lose strength and begin to panic."

"Oh come now, when I found you there were more than five other bodies." She said, though she somewhat regretted saying so as Will's face fell.

"I didn't have a choice. I was desperate and hadn't slept in days. To be honest I can't remember how that fight went anymore." He said, shrugging and trying to smile. "I promised to myself not to end up like that again."

This conversation ended maybe five minutes later, with Lyn giving Will a look of If-you-don't-I'll-attack-you-in-your-sleep look, and he had to agree to the fair fights instead. At least until he got out of the same tent. Though of course he made her promise to wait an extra day or two to ensure his full health.

* * *

"Let me go!" The young woman tugged fruitlessly against the man holding her. Her small frame had nowhere near the strength to pull away from him.

"Not a chance, girlie. You're quite a catch, along with your winged bird here." The man said with a laugh, kicking some dust up at the scared creature.

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HUEY!" She screeched as loudly as she could, making the bandit's ears sting.

"Quiet girl!" He said, and smacked the back of her head, forcing her to slump forward in pain.

* * *

"Bandits! Outside the village!" He heard people shouting outside, and rushed to the scene after grabbing his bow from its makeshift stand.

"Everyone, get into your houses. Travelers, get to the inn!" He called, waving his arms to direct them. They followed his instructions, and he joined the other travelers in the inn. No one there had weapons aside from himself. It didn't matter to him though, he could defend them well enough.

There was one problem though… "Mind letting go of my arms? I can't use my bow otherwise." He said, glancing at the three girls that had taken care of him, who were all clutching onto his arms desperately.

"Okay…" They all let go and backed off, though reluctantly. He shook his head sadly. Girls were strange; he never knew what was on their minds. They giggled at his serious profile, and he gave them another raised eyebrow look, which made them fall quiet once more.

Or not. They merely moved into the back room to continue giggling. "He's soooooooooooooooo hot!"

* * *

**We head west to Caelin. Lady Lyndis is with me, while Kent and Sain remain close at her side. The Taliver Mountains are home to no order, and are filled with bandits of all kinds. The cruelest are the Taliver, who kill all in their path. Though I see no signs of them their destruction is evident, as on our fourteenth day away from the plains, Lyn can see their atrocities for herself.**

Will closed the notebook, as they passed yet another ruin of a village that had once been. "Monsters," He heard Lyn growl. He put a hand on her shoulder, causing her to turn her glare at him. It took her a moment to compose herself again, and she let out a calming sigh. "I know, I know… no dangerous stunts."

Sain also seemed roused to anger at the state of things. "This place is in ruins! Why doesn't the Marquess do something?"

Will shook his head sadly. "No Marquess holds power here. These mountains are overrun with bandits and other uncouth groups. This is the area where the law of survival plays more a part in people's lives than anywhere else."

Lyn's face was filled with sadness and fury. "My village was on the other side of these mountains… The Taliver came at night. It only took that one night to kill most of my tribe. Maybe seven people survived, including me. I'll never forgive those soulless beasts."

None of them could find anything to say that would comfort her. They couldn't even try. None of them, not even Will, could relate to the experience of losing everyone and everything you had ever known in the course of a single night.

"I'll be back someday. When I'm strong enough. I will break their swords beneath me like twigs beneath a stallion's hooves. I will avenge my people." Lyn stated firmly. The fire that burned in her eyes wasn't like the one before. It was much less vengeful, and seemed more focused on the damage they had done to the people living here than about the past atrocities.

"When that time comes, bring me with you." Said Sain, brandishing his lance with a grand sweeping gesture. In his eyes burned a very similar fire to the one in Lyn's. Will couldn't help but notice the hard tone of his voice.

"Sain…" Lyn said, somewhat surprised at his words. It was a noble gesture, and one that was not lost on her.

"Do not forget me, either." Kent said, pulling out his sword, eyes hard as stone. His words were less passionate than Sain's, but also more dutiful. Perhaps he felt that a knight's duty could easily be extended to these folk.

"Kent…" Lyn said, the smallest of smiles spreading across her face. She was grateful for their kindness, even if she hadn't wanted to impose upon them.

"I may not be much use in a fight like that, but I think I'd worry more if I didn't tag along. I can come too, right?" Will said, putting one hand onto Lyn's shoulder.

"Will… all of you… thanks." She said, her smile growing wider as she felt the warmth of their friendship. Now if only her best friend was here, she could truly be happy.

* * *

"So? How do you plan to apologize? Huh?" One of the bandits said, still holding onto her hands. It had taken a while for her to regain consciousness after the blow to her head, but now she remembered where she was.

"Uh…. I…" She tried to stutter out, but the grip on her was making her shiver, for more reasons than the chilly mountain air.

"She's quite a catch, isn't she? Boss will pay good for her." The other said, examining her. Her fear was momentarily overcome by burning anger, and she spat in the man's face. The man wiped it away angrily before delivering a swift slap across her face.

"Roughed up a bit, but fair's fair. She deserves it, anyway." The first said, smiling wickedly.

"And the mule? What do we do with it?" The second asked, fingering his axe as he eyed the beast. He had always wondered how these creatures tasted.

"Don't touch Huey! Do with me what you will, just let her go, please!" The girl begged her captors.

"Huey's a weird name for a girl Pegasus…" One of the bandit's said, and they all stood their stupidly for a moment.

"It was all I could think of…" The girl muttered embarrassedly. "Originally I was going to call her Makar…"

"That still ain't a girl's name." The bandit said simply, and the girl's face scrunched up angrily. "And we ain't gonna let it go, neither. Pegasi can only be found in Ilia. They're rare, and will sell for much more than you will. We'll be rich!"

"Damn. Look over there." Will said, pointing out from his post on Kent's horse. "The local bandits got a hold of some poor girl and her Pegasus." Lyn followed Will's gaze, noticing the four figures he was pointing to. I took her a moment before she recognized one of them.

"Florina? Impossible!" She shouted, dashing towards the figures. With a confused glance, the other three followed her as quickly as they were able.

"Florina? Why are you here?" Lyn asked as she skidded in fron of the bandits, a little bit of dirt spraying onto their already dirty shoes

The bandit's seemed surprised at the new arrivals, all of which were heavily armed, and the one holding Florina let go without thinking as he reached towards his weapon. Florina quickly hid behind Lyn, as Kent and Sain both drew their swords, pointing them at the bandits. Will dropped down next to Lyn, in case the two needed to attack. "Is it really you Lyn?" Florina asked, her eyes tearing up as she clutched onto the back of Lyn's shirt.

"Come now, don't you remember what I told you? No crying!" She said sternly. Florina nodded vigorously though tears still began falling from her eyes.

"Wait a minute… is this that friend of yours that was going to become the Pegasus knight?" Will asked curiously, glancing at the slightly younger girl. Florina let out a small 'meep' and latched onto Lyn still harder. Lyn tried to shake her a bit so she'd at least loosen her grip.

"Yes… this is Florina. She's a Pegasus knight now, unless I'm mistaken." Lyn said, and Florina nodded slightly. "She's also afraid very shy around men." She said, more a point to Sain than Will or Kent. Will recalled this from their previous conversation, while Kent was far too dutiful to try anything untoward. Sain likely wouldn't mean any harm, but unintentionally would cause Florina to clam up.

"What happened here, Florina?" Lyn asked her friend gently.

"Well…" Florina began. "I was looking for you, because I heard you were alive after that bandit attack on your tribe. When I asked people in that small town nearby, they said you left with three weirdoes…" The three men twitched. Most people didn't appreciate being called weird without cause, and none of the three particularly felt they had earned the distinction. "And then… I thought I'd ask in that village about you, but I didn't see them… and… well…"

Will put a hand to his head, speaking without thinking as he imagined the scenario. "Your Pegasus landed on them?" Both Sain and Kent went bug eyed. Having a Pegasus land on you wasn't pleasant. They had trained to avoid being knocked off their horses, and the Pegasi were the hardest of all adversaries to avoid. And the most painful when they planted hooves into your back.

"Umm… a little…" She responded, and the two bandits regained themselves as though her words justified their still loitering around.

"Hah! She confesses! She stepped on my friend, and now she's got to pay!" The first bandit said, eyeing the group angrily.

Lyn put her hands on her hips indignantly, glaring at the two men. "You apologized for what happened, right Florina?"

Florina nodded. "Yes, I told them I was sorry many times over, but they just wouldn't listen!" She said, somewhat pleadingly. She knew Lyn wouldn't leave her to the mercy of these men, but at the same time she had truly tried to make them understand. Accidents just seemed to happen from time to time.

It was then Will noticed the fine bruise she was sporting on her left cheek. She must have been hit there quite a few times with a lot of force for her cheek to bruise. Turning towards the bandits, his gaze narrowed, one hand drifting towards the tome strapped to his belt.

"Look," Lyn said to the bandits. "She's obviously sorry. Can't we just drop it? You don't seem to be injured in any way." She sighed. "In fact, I'd say she's more injured than either of you."

"No chance." The one Will and Lyn presumed to be the leader said. "The girl comes with us, by force if need be!" Lyn began to reach for her sword, when the sudden chanting of a spell could be heard. A moment later Will's hand had thrust out towards the bandits, and a black mass of energy flew towards them at remarkable speed. The bandits scrambled to get out of the way, but Will's aim was true. It caught the lesser bandit in the shin, and a moment later the man's left leg had been lost to darkness. He fell to the ground, screaming as his leg spurted blood. With a quick flourish of her blade Lyn ended the man's pitiful existence, as the leader continued to run for the hills.

"What was…" Lyn began, looking at Will in confusion and amazement. The next moment she was cut off by the Bandit leader's shouting, and her question went unfinished.

"COME ON OUT BOYS! KILL THE MEN, AND CAPTURE THE WOMEN!" Came the leader's roar from the hills beyond. A solid stone wall blocked their view on one side, while two seemingly untouched houses remained close-by.

"We'll have to fight back." Will said, as he returned his book to his belt. That spell had taken more energy than he would've liked. Attempting to cast magic in less than peak condition caused it to expend more energy it seemed. "Lyn, Sain, are you ready?" The two nodded. "Kent, I know you don't want to hear this, but you're still healing. I'm sending you to check on the houses nearby. Make sure the people inside are safe and lock their doors."

"While I do not wish to be left out of battle, I understand the practicality of your statement. I presume if there is trouble you are trusting me to handle it?" Kent asked, giving Will a small smile.

"You catch on quickly." Will said with a smile in return. "Once you've done that, return here." Kent nodded, and then reared his horse towards the nearest house. "Florina, right?" Will said, turning to the shy girl next. "You're a Pegasus knight, right? What I'm trying to ask is if you can fight." Will asked then stated in immediate succession, and Florina could do little more than nod.

As she mounted her pegasus, Florina looked down at Lyn. "Umm… Lyn? Who is that?" She asked timidly, pointing to Will.

"That's Will. He's only an apprentice, but he's my tactician. He is also an excellent bedmate." Florina blushed furiously.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT?" She cried is a hoarse whisper, almost falling off of Huey as she did so.

Lyn giggled at Florina's reaction. "I'm only joking with you, Florina. You shouldn't take everything so seriously." She said, and Florina sighed.

"Lyyyyyyyyyyn…" she whined, but Lyn was already walking towards Will. She clutched onto Huey's mane sulkily. "I like your name." She muttered, and Huey gave a happy snort.

"Don't take them lightly even if they are bandits." Will told Lyn and Sain, who nodded. "We clear them out completely. Use the walls to your advantage to dodge their attacks, but watch out for the archers. That goes double for you, Florina." He said, elaborating on the battle as fast as he could. "Once the archers have been taken out, you'll be able to attack much better and wherever you may be needed."

"By the way…" He finished, turning to Florina and bowing low. "Pleased to meet you."

Florina couldn't help but blush, and she tried to do a half bow herself, but almost fell off her Pegasus once more. When she regained herself, her blush had spread to her entire face, and she only managed a quiet "nice to meet you too" in response.

"I'll wait here for Kent, you all handle those bandits." Will said, and the group split. Sain met the first bandit's axe with his sword, and Lyn cut off an archers head as it angled a shot towards the green clad knight. Florina used her slim lance to strike a man with a sword, though she 'meeped', as his sword came dangerously close to hitting her. She struck a second time, and the man fell dead. Sain parried a second blow, taking his chance to disarm the bandit before removing his head.

* * *

"Is anyone here?" Kent called, but the village seemed deserted. No sounds could be heard. Perhaps they had already evacuated.

"Away you thugs! We want nothing to do with you!" Came a shout from one of the houses. Kent couldn't see the person who shouted, but he was sure it was from the large house that looked like an inn of some kind.

"We're not bandits, I swear! We're here to help in the name of Lycia!" Kent shouted back.

Wil shook the girls off his arms for the third time in the last hour. "I'll go see who this man is. Remain inside, everyone." Opening the door slowly, he noted the man's horse and red armor, before stepping out. He approached the man, stopping right in front of him. He had yet to knock an arrow, but he felt he could trust this man. "Not bandits, eh? Then who are you?" He asked, and Kent nodded. He dismounted his horse, now nearly eye level with the young archer. Kent was only slightly taller, but the gesture was not lost.

"I'm Kent of Lycia. My group and I are here to clear out these bandits. I merely came to warn the villagers of the danger. Don't worry, we'll be gone shortly. Just warn them to lock their doors and not come out until nightfall." Kent said, placing a hand on the young archer's shoulder. He nodded slowly, and Kent smiled gladly. Grabbing the reins of his horse, he swung up onto his horse once more.

Wil seemed surprised to hear the man was from Lycia, likely because he realized that Kent was a Knight. As to why his group was in these mountains he wasn't sure, but it was his chance to get out of the mountains. "Wait!" He called, stopping the horse on its way out and looking at Kent. "You didn't let me introduce myself. I'm Wil."

Kent's eyebrows raised. He supposed Will wasn't the most uncommon of names, but it wasn't one he had heard often. To run into a second man with the same name seemed ridiculous. "Very well, but I never required you to state your name. Why do you desire to do so?"

"These villagers have been kind to me after my misfortune of my travels." Wil continued, glad he had managed to get the knight's attention. "I'm quite good with a bow… mind if I join you?"

Kent sighed. It was going to be confusing to hear two shouts of Will going around the battlefield, but he supposed it was ridiculous to turn down help if the man was offering. "Alright. Let me take you to our tactician. He'll decide whether we should keep you or not." He said, and pulled Wil onto the back of his horse. Soon the two were galloping away, out of the village and towards the battle.

"Will!" Kent called, causing the tactician to turn. Wil's eyes widened, surprised at the similar name. "This is Wil. He seems to be an Archer. He's offered to help and I saw no reason to turn him down."

Will was taken aback for a moment at the similarities between their names. His mind briefly battled between the not wanting to have to wonder if he was being called every time the name 'Will' was shouted and the sheer usefulness of having an archer on the team. In the end, the usefulness of an archer won. "Alright Wil, I need you to ride sidesaddle with Kent. Direct him as you need to, Kent isn't supposed to fight much due to an injury, so find the best spot for your archery to hit as many targets as you can." Wil nodded, and Kent begrudgingly agreed as well.

Lyn had overheard most of the conversation, and had to admit she found the similar names extremely confusing. Not to mention she was too used to Will being the tactician, and meeting another that was an archer and that wasn't really him felt somehow… off. Sain meanwhile was locked in a battle with a sword wielder, his lance a flash of speed as it darted out from his higher position. The exchange ended when Florina, from high above, landed a well thrown javelin in the enemy's chest.

"Lyn, Sain! Over there! Reinforcements are yours to handle!" The two nodded, and headed in the direction Will pointed. Will managed to dodge a strike from an axe, before an arrow whizzed from over the wall, landing squarely in the man's arm. He dropped his weapon, and Florina dived from the sky, finishing the man with a quick strike of her lance.

"Stay close." Will told her, having completely forgotten her fear of men in the heat of battle. Florina nodded and remained close though, perhaps taking this opportunity to try and overcome her fear. She did feel this man was different from others she had met, somehow. Perhaps it was because Lyn seemed so trusting of him.

"Will… what about that archer…" She asked, pointing at Wil, who was standing quite steadily on Kent's moving horse as he fired another arrow into the flurry of battle that was Lyn and Sain.

"Don't worry about him." Will said simply. "That's Wil the archer. He's on our side."

Florina chose not to comment on the extremely similar names, focusing on the more important part. "But bows… and men… scare me…" She said, shivering slightly at the mere thought of an arrow flying into her or Huey.

"Fear your enemies, not your allies." He said, noticing a small contingent headed their way. He muttered a small curse before drawing his sword unsteadily. "There are reinforcements here too, I didn't consider that. Get Wil, Kent and Sain over here, you go help Lyn kill the leader." He commanded, and she obeyed. Huey gave a small neigh before launching into the sky, quickly finding Sain and directing him back. Kent was galloping back as well, but she couldn't see the archer Wil anymore. That thought scared her, but she noticed him a moment later, taking aim from an abandoned fort.

"Draw your swords you cowards! We're not listening to any of your stinking apologies or begging for mercies!" The leader called.

The archer felt a small smile cross his face. "Haven't got a sword…" Wil said grimly, shooting an arrow straight at the man's blind spot. The leader turned quickly and knocked the arrow away with his axe in quite the skillful display.

Florina lowered her pegasus towards the point, but refused to land as she saw Wil look at her curiously. "Will needs you over there." She said timidly, pointing in Will's direction. The archer boy nodded before rushing off, seemingly not even upset that Florina hadn't touched down to tell him. She let out a sigh of relief. Now she just needed to find and help Lyn with the leader she had landed on. A small part of her was wondering if she shouldn't have landed on the man harder.

Sain was handling his part of the fight easily. The bandits were no match for his sword when he was being serious. His training as a knight also seemed to far outweigh the bandits' experiences of pillaging and killing random people. Will and Kent were fighting from his horse, being careful to strike out only when needed. Kent noted Will's sword had a strange energy that was causing the tactician a fair amount of trouble. He couldn't let Lyndis's tactician suffer any harm though, so Kent found himself striking out a bit more than Will. "Lyn better finish this soon. We're not going to be able to keep up the pace." Kent said gruffly, lopping off another bandit's hand.

Sain clashed blades with a sword user, having dismounted from his horse to keep it safe from the oncoming wave. "She is the Lady Lyndis, I doubt there's any need to worry." He said, and Kent smiled in spite of himself.

Will jumped from Kent's horse, smashing the hilt of his blade into an axe man's stomach, before removing both the man's hands with well-placed sword strikes. He began to feel the tell tale signs of his shoulder giving out again, the throbbing pain growing quickly more intense. "Damn… where is he…" Will panted, as Kent reared his horse to kick another man in the chest, ending up trampling the man under hoof. Kent's injury also seemed to be acting up, but he didn't speak up about it in spite of Will's concerned glance.

Finally to Will's relief an arrow flew past his ear and landed in an archer that had been sneaking up on him with a drawn bow. Unfortunately, the same archer had fire a shot moments before, and his aim was true. The arrow lodged itself painfully in Will's already injured shoulder, his sword dropping down to the ground as he clutched his shoulder. To his dismay he realized he wouldn't be able to pull out the arrow or apply a vulnerary without help. "That hurts." He grunted, as Kent dismounted quickly to tend to him. "Worry about me later! Sain, Wil, clear these guys out! Kent, I know you're injured, but do what you can!"

Wil nodded, and knocked a new arrow as Sain charged. What followed was a very decent improved team up, as Will would use his arrows to hit the small window in between Sain clashing with the fighters. His arrows mostly lodged into their shoulders, making them drop their weapons before Sain delivered the finishing blow. Will gave a small grim smile that Wil had used his injury as inspiration for his attacks.

"I have a question to ask you…" Lyn said, cutting through another axe man, and approaching the leader. "Are you… Taliver?"

The leader growled. "We're nothing like those greedy monsters, the others who inhabit these mountains! Those fiends would kill even women and children! We are the Ganelon Bandits, and we know something of honor. After all… Why kill what you can sell?" His grin remained even as the Sacaen Swordswoman approached him, her shining blade reflecting the rays of sun.

Florina shivered as she heard the growling voice of the leader, even as she finished the last bandit that was nearby to the leader. He was a very bad man who sold people into slavery, so Lyn would kill him. She knew her friend was more than capable. Perhaps she should try and help though. Will had sent her over to back up Lyn, after all.

"If you aren't Taliver, then there's no need for you to die today." Lyn sain, managing to keep her composure. She wanted to ensure she had given then man a chance to change his ways. "If you turn tail and flee, you can live. You may even start a new life if you so choose." She finished, raising her Mani Katti into a defensive position.

"What?! Grr..." The leader growled, he anger likely clouding what little judgment the man had. "No more courtesies! You will learn to watch your tongue!" His axe rose and fell in a quick arc, but Lyn deftly deflected the blow, Dealing a rather severe blow to his dominate hand. He gave an angry shout of pain, before quickly switching his axe to his other hand. Apparently he was ambidextrous, a fact Lyn decided she'd have to consider next time as the axe handle smashed into her side. She collapsed to her knees, wheezing painfully, as the man stood triumphantly over here. The next moment he felt a sharp stab through his side, and he turned to the still shaking pegasus knight, her lance protruding from his side.

"Umm… excuse me…" She said, as if it were some kind of apology.

"YOU! So… you haven't changed your mind, I take it?" The leader spat, a small amount of blood mixed with the saliva. His side was burning in agony, but he still managed to point his axe straight into the shivering girl's face.

"No I haven't…" The girl said in a very quiet voice. The bandit probably couldn't even hear her. She tried speaking up more as she continued. "I mean, this really is my entire fault… so… so could we…" she trailed off, seeming to have lost the confidence she had managed to drum up. It may have also been because the bandit was looking at her with a murderous fury in his eyes.

"What is it? Spit it out, lass!" The leader said while grinding his teeth. Fortunately the lance has stuck in such a way that he seemed unable to move at the moment, forced to listen to Florina's stuttering apology.

"Can we just stop fighting now?" She said quickly and quietly, and if the man hadn't been listening so intently he would've missed what she had said. In response, he laughed wickedly, which quickly turned into a hack as more blood came from the wound Florina had just inflicted.

"You've gotta be kidding me." The leader growled, finally removing the lance from his abdomen. "After I've been made to look the fool?" He began to step forward, blood beginning to pool form the wound. "No way! And you'll come with us whether you want to or not! Give yourself up to me now!" He yelled in a crazed manner, charging with his axe raised.

"EEK!" Florina cried out, too afraid to even spur Huey back into the air. In her panic, she stabbed instinctively out towards her attacker.

Her eyes were closed tightly as she gripped her lance, but the blow she was expecting never came. She refused to open them until she heard a dull 'clunk' sound, which made her slightly curious. The leader still stood over her, but the axe he had been wielding had fallen to the ground, and her small arms held the lance that had pierced the man's chest. She realized now why the blow had never come. In her fear and attempt to protect herself, she had landed a finishing blow on the man who was nearly dead already. Huey tugged on the back of her combat dress lightly, as she pulled the lance from the man's body. With a sickening 'thud' it fell to the ground in a bloody heap. She suddenly began to feel faint.

As she collapsed, the men returned from their battle, Will quickly rushing over and catching the young girl as she fell. "Not much in terms of battle, but she certainly seems to have courage." Will mused, before letting out a rather loud yelp as Wil tanked the arrow out of his shoulder. "How's Lyndis?" He asked Kent and Sain, who both were helping Lyndis to her feet. She seemed none to worse for wear aside from a likely fine bruise she was clutching underneath her clothing.

"I'm fine, just embarrassed he managed to get the best of me. Flroina?" She asked, looking at the girl's prone form.

"She's just a little shaken up, I'd wager." Will said, smiling quietly as he placed her on the pegasus's back. Huey gave a small snort in Will's direction, before allowing him to gently take the reins to lead him. "Let's find a spot to make a small camp, alright?"

* * *

It was approximately an hour later before Florina woke, and she spotted the other five all sitting and talking nearby. Seeing her awake, Will turned to her. She shrank into Huey's mane bashfully as he spoke. "So, Florina, we've already talked things over." he said gently. Florina remained silent, though she wondered if she had been given some sort of verdict for passing out after fighting a man when she wasn't even injured.

Will sighed. She may be Lyn's best friend, but the whole fear of men thing made him doubt Lyn's grand idea. "The Ganelon bandits will likely pursue us for revenge after their leader was killed. The few that remained fled back to their stronghold." He said, letting the explanation flow. "We've come to the conclusion that to be safe it would be better if you and Wil would travel with us. Only if you want to, of course." He finished. He had a feeling he knew how the rest of the conversation would turn out, but it never hurt to let people have a choice.

Florina looked amazed at Will's offer. She certainly hadn't expected that. "Travel with you Lyn, truly?"

Sain laughed jovially, placing a hand on Wil's shoulder. "Why not come along? With the addition of Wil the archer extraordinaire here, we qualify as a pretty solid mercenary band, I'd say."

Wil looked at Sain in surprise. Apparently he had been a little zoned out while they were talking about this proposition before, and failed to realize he was included as well. "Wait, me too?"

Lyn nodded enthusiastically at the proposition. "Of course! We can use all the help we can get! This will make our journey much easier!" She said, running over and hugging Florina.

"Besides…" Will muttered to the other three quietly. "Maybe this'll make her forget about trying to force me to spar with her…" They all laughed, and Lyn looked back in slight confusion.

"So, I can really come?" Wil asked, somewhat confused by the proposition. He had only just met these people, after all.

Will shrugged. "Unless you've got other things to do…" He said in an 'it can't be helped' sort of tone.

Wil shook his head quickly. "No no, I'd be glad to be considered a part of Lyndis's Legion!" He said, apparently having nicknamed the group in his head.

_Wait, we need a name now…?_ Will and Kent thought at the exact same time, while Sain seemed fully into the idea of a team name. He laughed as he patted Wil on the back. Apparently he thought he'd get along just fine with this other Wil.

"Lyndis's Legion? This is getting stranger by the day, Will." Lyn said, smiling at the memory of their original plans of travel, and at what it had all turned into now.

"You're telling me." He said, shaking his head with a smile and a shrug. "Well, shall we get going? We've still a long way to go before we reach Caelin."

Lyndis's Legion nodded, and they headed on their way. Lyn found herself walking with Will and Florina, though Florina was sticking close to her and avoiding eye contact with Will. Something she had been thinking about fell back into her mind, and a small smile spread across her face. "Oh… and be warned. Tomorrow we're up at the crack of dawn." She told him. The look of defeat on his face as he nodded was quite the sight to see.

* * *

The Ganelon stronghold was in an uproar. "They won't get away with this!" Several of the men shouted angrily, grabbing axes or pointing fingers at the makeshift portraits they had made. "We should give chase! Bring all the new guys! And a good leader to kill them all!" They roared, as the men continued to rally, breaking several tables with their axes as they prepared to fight.

"There are only four men and two women! It shouldn't be that hard! We can take them!" One of the more important bandits shouted, seeming to take control of the mob. Soon they were more organized, and the new guys were all lined up in a row as he barked out their orders. They were to find these bastards, and kill every last one.

"Natalie… I'm sorry." One of the new men said, pocketing a small picture of his wife, and picking up his hand axe. "Know that I do this for you with a heavy heart." He followed the others out the door, to chase down these mysterious people the Ganelon were so intent on defeating.


	9. Swords, Lances and Bows

**Author's note:** I'm trying to keep ahead of the ball here. I want to keep at least one chapter ahead of what's posted, just in the off chance something happens and I can't type or edit for a while, so I can at least post something. So far it isn't working out too poorly. I will also note not knowing what pairings will develop it's interesting to see interactions are going on. I've already noticed changes from the original, and so far I think they've managed to work out for the better. Of course, Will and Wil is still confusing to work through. Fault of a kid who wanted to use his OC's name in spite of a character having the same name, I guess.

* * *

Chapter 9: Swords, Lances and Bows

"Are you sure you're okay?" Nino asked, showing her version of concern by poking his cast lightly.

"I'm fine Nino. Jaffar took care of me." Will said, waving it off. His arm, injured in the last battle, apparently had a fracture. Rather than risk it, Limstella had ordered him to place a cast on it and wait for it to heal. He considered it a blessing in disguise, since now he could avoid battles for a while.

"I told you he was nice, didn't I?" Nino said, her smile positively radiant at being correct about her friend's behavior.

"Yeah, you did." Will said, raising his one good arm in mock surrender. Nino danced around him happily as she whistled that same tune she had finally taught him. He listened silently, letting his thoughts collect as he enjoyed the moment.

Nino had been right all along. Jaffar wasn't really all that bad. He just didn't like to show his good side. It wouldn't be so bad to place a little more trust in the person who had saved his life.

But shortly after, they received a new mission. One that Will hadn't liked at all. The team had just returned from the battlefield, Will being forced to play tactician when he thought he was free from fighting for a while. He didn't meet the hostages won in the fight, and neither did Jaffar. The two would've had nothing to do with it… but Nergal forced them too.

"Now these are your responsibility. You won't lose them, yes?" His cloaked form growled at the two, the obvious threat behind his words was evident even to the hostages.

The three angels looked into the cage. A young boy and a girl who looked around Will's age were in it.

"They got names?" Jaffar asked simply. He had gone into the mode where he turned his emotions to minimum. Will was beginning to deeply envy that state.

"They are our children of destiny." Mark said, in a way that made Will shudder. He was always acting like he was hopped up on too much healing magic, and his words were more like those of a crazy person. Will half expected to see a red rose in Mark's hand. He wasn't entirely sure why that was though.

"Their names…" Nergal began, and for the first time his words carried a hint of a smile. "Are Nils and Ninian."

* * *

"Will!" A voice like the crack of a whip startled him awake. He rolled over, and grunted as he shut his eyes tighter. He really didn't want to get up yet.

"I said 'Will'!" The voice came again, slightly more irritated. Will opened one eye when he suddenly noticed his bedroll was feeling more like wet grass than a bedroll. He was lying outside the tent, on the grass. That explained so much and yet so little.

"Lady Lyndis… it's the crack of dawn… and I'm tired…" He said, yawning.

"I thought I told you to stop calling me that. Also, you gave me your word." She said simply, and Will sat up, sighing heavily as he stretched slowly and carefully. From the stiffness of his injured arm, he could finally tell it was healed. It had been a few days since their previous escapade, but he didn't really see that as a reason for Lyn to drag him out of the tent.

"I was hoping you'd forget, what with the addition of Wil and Florina now." He said, standing up slowly. She shook her head.

"You said you'd spar with me, now let's go!" She said eagerly, practically dragging him out of the camp. Kent gave a sigh, closing his tent flap. He would've offered to take the poor man's place, but he was still on injured leave for another two days.

About three hours later, Will fell to the ground for maybe the ninth time, Lyn's Mani Katti at his throat for the fifth time. "I win again. You aren't trying at all." She said, sheathing the sword. She had expected him to be much better at this. Then again, he hadn't even touched his tome, and his sword didn't seem to have that strange energy around it he had used once before. Perhaps he didn't take her seriously, like Kent. This chivalry business was quite annoying.

"Maybe now you'll believe me when I say I can't beat you." Will said, as he pushed himself up. It was true to him. His skills weren't really with the blade or with magic. It was in their tactical deployment, and using the best way he could calculate so that the enemies died.

Lyn shook her head. "Then how did you do so well against those bandits? And why haven't you summoned that energy or used your tome?"

Will shook his head as well. "Lyndis, bandits don't think. They get riled easily by the slightest provocation. You'd have to be pretty stupid not to able to fight one or two by yourself."

Lyn grew angry. "So I'm an idiot, am I?" She raised her sword again, and slashed downward angrily. For the first time, Will was able to see the Mani Katti's traveling path easily, and dodged to the side.

"Lady Lyndis, swing diagonally. You may not hit them where you wanted, but you'll hit them all the same." He broke two branches off the nearest tree, throwing one to Lyn. Lyn caught it, despite the small growl that escaped her when Will desecrated the poor tree.

"I can, however, teach tactics. That way I won't have to throw myself into danger to direct you." He grinned at that, and Lyn also smiled in spite of herself. "Peerless warrior and tactician. Lady Lyndis shall be a force on all fronts."

"I'll only listen if you stop calling me that." Lyn said stubbornly. It had really been bugging her how insistent he was on using the name. "You know me as Lyn. Just because some knights come along and inform me of my heritage doesn't mean you have to go all noble. You're my tactician, and I want you to direct me freely." She said, that fire Will respected burned in her eyes. "Unless I need to pull the 'I just beat you nine times so do what I say' card."

"That's unfair. Who in the world… Sain." Will sighed as Lyn giggled. "Of course he'd spar with self-imposed rules."

"Very well, I submit. Lyn… try to hit me." Lyn smiled, glad she had finally managed a breakthrough on that front. She attacked, lunging forward and striking with her sword, but to her surprise Will countered, his stick hitting the back of her hand and causing her to drop her stick.

"What the…" She said in amazement, looking up at Will. It was one of those strange moments where she suddenly felt she didn't know the man at all. They had been sparring all morning, yet she had never seen him move like that.

Will smiled kindly, knowing he would have to explain. "What you just performed is what I refer to as a killing blow. Never use it at the start of a fight. If the enemy is stunned, aim for the heart and stab. Slashes tend to work best otherwise. Open as many wounds on them as you can."

She nodded grimly, though she didn't like imagining cutting Will open like that, even if they were only using sticks. "Why did you not use that in the spar earlier?"

"The hit on the back of your hand." Will elaborated, pointing to her stinging hand. "With a sword, I would've injured you, possibly to the point where you would be unable to wield a sword again. My fighting is about getting the opponent to stop attacking. Usually I aim for arms and legs. That gets people to back off."

She nodded once more, understanding now his uneasiness to use his tome or energy from the sword. He had been thinking of her well-being. At least now they were fighting on more equal terms. Even if he was just handing out a lecture.

"Stop." Will said suddenly, surprising her. "Don't think of me as your friend right now." She had hesitated a moment into her attack, a fact which had clearly not missed the tactician's eye. "You halt before your enemy; you give them a chance to kill you. I've learned that very few of them have sympathy for their opponents."

"But…" Lyn began.

"No." He cut her off simply. "I am your enemy right now. I am a Taliver bandit, I am Lundgren. I am whoever you need me to be. Someone who has killed friends, family, someone who you can't trust or talk down. Understand?"

Lyn shook her head. "I know you'd never be capable of something like that."

Will was taken aback, but smiled slightly. This time the smile was sad. "Can you truly be so sure of that?" He asked, and Lyn found herself unable to answer. Silence fell between the two.

"We'll continue another time. Let's stop here for today. I need a chance to measure the other two's skills." He said, pausing as he walked passed her. "And you'll be rooming with Florina now. She can't room with anyone else. Four guys in one tent will be a tiny bit cramped, but we'll make due until we can purchase new supplies."

Then he was gone. Lyn turned towards the direction he had gone, as though expecting him to return, but he didn't. She slumped against a tree as her stick fell to the ground. _He's not capable of something like that… well, he is, but he wouldn't do it… he wouldn't betray our trust… my trust…_

* * *

Will nodded to Sain, who sighed and entered the forest himself. He'd have to improve the lady's mood, it seemed the two had another tiff of some kind. Kent also took note, though he was on watch and couldn't address the situation like he wanted. He'd have to trust it to Sain. He found this a surprisingly agreeable notion. Will walked over to the archer, engaging him in conversation. Florina remained nearby, brushing her pegasus as she listened from a safe distance.

"So, Wil, you get it?" Will asked, after about an hour of explaining the situation.

Wil nodded. "So these people are Lyndis's Legion, the six that stand against Lundgren. And you want to make sure we're good enough to not get killed?" He glanced at Florina. He had a feeling this was a little more about her than him, but he'd try to ace the tactician's exam all the same.

"I just… want to help Lyn…" Florina said meekly, which made Will smile.

"You will. I merely need to develop some new tactics based on your levels of abilities." He said, and both nodded. "Alright then, let's begin." He said. He had already put up some targets, made from paper from his pocketbook. He felt a small pang of regret that he wouldn't be able to write on them, but it was a sacrifice worth making. At least he had been able to practice his drawing. He was quite pourd of the illustrations, to be honest.

"Now, the paper at the top of a tree is a Pegasus knight." He said, elaborating while Florina mounted Huey. "There are also two cavaliers." He pointed out the two papered trees, with a target set for both the rider and the horse. "There is an archer and a mage." He pointed to two well hidden targets. "One axe user and finally a mercenary wielding a sword." He pointed those out. All had rather crude and poor drawings on them. They were all red in color, but if he hadn't explained what they were neither would've been able to tell. He now pointed to different colored targets. "The green colored papers are your allies."

Both of them nodded in comprehension, choosing not to comment on the poor drawings of Kent, Sain, Lyn, and the tactician himself. "Alright, I'm going to give you a quick rundown." He said, beginning his tactical briefing. "Lyn is on the field with you, Sain and Kent are held back by reinforcements. I'm not much use in a fight, and you want to make sure none of us die."

Wil was already starting to feel the pressure of the situation on him. Florina also seemed tense. Will had done this before, so only he seemed lax. He knew they wouldn't find this fun. "The Pegasus knight is aiming at Lyn, and the archer is going for Florina." Wil had already started to go for the Pegasus knight, but Will stopped him. "BAM!" His shout made them both jump. "Florina's shot down now."

Wil faltered. "But…"

Will tutted at the archer, a smile playing across his face. "Your bow is indeed good against pegasus knights, but the archer would shoot down Florina."

"But if I shoot the archer, the Pegasus gets Lyn." Wil said, slowly. It seemed like the lesser of two evils to him.

Will chuckled. "Not exactly. Now, normally Lyn wouldn't be standing in place, but for the sake of this exercise she is. Say she's locked in combat with the enemy commander or something."

Both grinned. That seemed exactly like something Lyn would do. Though Will's tactics were still lost on them. "Now Wil, you would need to take out the archer first. I know…" He began, raising his hand to stop Wil's interruption. "I know it's harder to hit him, but Florina can lock down the pegasus knight. Both of you can handle that, right?" They nodded slightly. They felt like trying to interrupt, but Will didn't seem done explain why this was a better plan.

"You see, Florina can't fly fast enough to take out the archer there." He pointed to the distant target. "She'd get shot. So we take the best chance for survival. Despite what you may think, it's much better that way. I don't want a victory built on a body count." Both nodded again. They noted his insistence on the survival aspect seemed like one he felt was personally important.

He smiled, glad they were understanding things so quickly. "Now, as for the remaining units…"

* * *

Sain was huffing in exhaustion. Lyn was very strong, and she knew how to use the environment to her advantage. "You are very good, Lady Lyndis." He said, straining his ears for the sound of her footsteps. Catching the rustling of leaves he spun quickly, managing to parry Lyn's blow with his sword.

"You're good when you aren't holding back." She said, finally feeling a little like her normal self. Will's behavior continued to irk her and his unwillingness to open up made it even worse. Why had he said what he said in the way he said it? Had it been simply to get a rise out of her, and it had backfired? She once more vanished into the trees, wishing Will was there to give her advice. Sain was really good when he wasn't trying to impress anyone. Realizing what she was doing, she felt herself scowl. "I don't need him here all the time." She reprimanded herself, and cost her position as a javelin-stick flew her way.

"Careful, my lady. I have good ears myself." Sain said as a smile played across his face. He then noticed Lyn had once more vanished. A shame really, he was terrible at this waiting game.

"Then I suppose I'll have to take it up another notch." She called happily. Sain sighed to himself, wondering if she ever ran out of energy. She had been at it all day, and still showed no signs of exhaustion.

* * *

Kent continued to keep watch of the perimeter, though he hadn't spotted anything all day. There wasn't really anything for him to do but look after the camp while he waited to heal. He did smile at Will's continuous hammering of real battles into the two, as they simply tried their best to understand and follow his advice and orders.

"Maybe I can catch our dinner… and gather some firewood… it is already passed noontime…" Kent mused, before getting down from his post. He figured things were safe enough until evening, so now was the best time to hunt. He picked up a lance, figuring he'd ask Lyndis and Sain to join him if he ran into them.

Will watched Kent leave, before telling Wil and Florina to stop. Both were sweating slightly, as the imaginary pressure of each situation he had described had been getting harder to find solutions to. Kent had been 'killed' once, Sain twice, Lyndis three times. Will himself had been 'killed' five or six times, along with Wil who most often failed when he was paired with the tactician. Florina was proving hardest to keep safe, as she had been 'killed' eight times.

"That's enough for now I think. Florina, guard the camp. Wil, target practice. Simple target practice this time." Will said, and both nodded.

Will put a quiver of five arrows next to Wil, and pulled out his best target, and largest. It was a classic archery target. He just wanted to see Wil's skill, apparently.

Wil picked up an arrow, putting it into the bow, and shooting it straight into the center of the target.

"Impressive." Will said, but Wil shrugged.

"I used to practice all the time. Rebecca and I did a lot of hunting together." Wil said, smiling at a memory.

"Rebecca huh? Your childhood sweetheart or something?" He asked, and Wil laughed.

"Yeah, that'll be the day. She's been a good friend though. I think she's still fine… at least Dan is with her now…" He mused, getting a little lost in thought

"Dan? Who is that?" Will asked, obviously curious. He was surprised that Wil was able to hold a conversation while continuing practice, his next three shots all managing to hit the middle of the target as well.

"Well, about two months ago now…" He began, but stopped as Will got up, moving the target further away and removing the arrows, all five of which had landed dead center. After Will had sat next to him once more, having refilled the quiver, Wil picked up an arrow, and shot it straight into the center of the target yet again.

Will was aghast at his accuracy, but he stayed silent as Wil continued. "Me and Dan left home together. We planned to make a fortune, one we could take back home, you know?" He fired another, dead center once more.

"We couldn't get any good jobs though. After a few tries, Dan decided to go back. He always doted on Rebecca… I think he missed her." He smiled slightly.

"So, you continued alone?" Will asked, and Wil nodded. It was silent for a while, and not until Will had moved the target even further and return the arrows did Wil speak again.

"I know I don't have much of a chance, but I'd like to be able to go back to them and say 'I made something of myself.' I didn't want to go home empty-handed, at the very least." Wil said softly.

"You won't. I'm sure Caelin will reward you for this." Will said, waving his hand airily. "Saving the Marquess's granddaughter has to be worth something."

"That's true, though with assassins out and about I've got to make sure I don't die, right?" He said, and laughed. Will smiled.

"I won't let that happen." Will said simply, and Wil smiled much more genuinely. Despite the short time, they had already become friends. Perhaps it was because of their similar names.

"Well, you win. You are good." Will said, shortly afterwards. Wil had managed to hit the target quite far; Will could swear it was about half a mile, even when he was aiming into trees. Now he'd just have to get his tactical know-how up to snuff.

Wil smiled. "Florina's turn, huh?" Will nodded, and Wil went off to get her.

* * *

Sain was panting in complete exhaustion on the ground with Lyn's sword at his throat. "Whew… you win, my lady, you win…" He panted, and she smiled, before flopping onto the ground as well.

"You made it hard though, that's for sure. When you stop pretending, you truly are a capable knight, aren't you?" She asked, looking at the man curiously.

Sain shrugged, a mysterious smile playing across his face. "Perhaps." He said no more, but Lyn didn't feel the need to pry any further. Unlike Will, who hid himself in shadows, Sain seemed to bathe himself in light, even when others treated him like a fool for it. She found she had a strange amount of respect for the man now, and knew he would handle what came their way.

"Well, thank you Sain. We should head back." After dragging themselves to their feet, they set off for camp. It was already getting dark, and they were eager for something to eat, and a good rest.

When they got back, they noticed Wil and Kent throwing wood onto the fire, with several small rabbits to cook. It seems Kent had gone hunting. Lyn looked around.

"Where's Will?" She asked. "And Florina?"

Wil looked up, and saluted. "Hello, my lady!" He said a bit too formally. She smiled slightly at the archer's attempted respect.

Kent answered her question. "Will finished training Wil here, and has now switched to Florina. I believe they will be here to eat with us when dinner is served."

Lyn sighed, and Sain looked at her. "I'm more worried about this fear of men she has. Will she be able to listen to Will's advice without getting scared of him?" He asked.

Lyn shook her head. "Unless he's some psycho about fighting and looks like a demon, he won't scare her away. Add in his usual polite speech, and she'll be just fine." she answered.

Kent nodded though his brain seemed to be working on something. _Polite speech. So, he plans to try and keep us all at arm's length. Not a bad idea, with his past. Likely he thinks it will catch up to him. He seems mistaken if he thinks we'll let him face it alone though. Lady Lyndis would never allow it. Nor would I._

"The day's gone fast." Will commented, and Florina nodded slightly. "You know, this is going to be interesting. Adding you and Wil to our numbers has been a blessing in disguise."

She tilted her head slightly. "Why?" She asked.

"Well, I've been slightly worried about our numbers, and now we're a little better off than before." Will said. "I told Lyn and the Knights not to worry, but my job is to worry about things like that. Having an archer and a flier for long range attacks and scouting was something I've been especially worried about. Though a shy Pegasus knight was unexpected." He said, smiling at her.

She blushed as she turned her face more towards Huey, stroking her mane. "It's not like I…"

"I know you don't mean to be." He said, waving it off. "But we'll have to work on your fear of men. Enemy troops will be comprised of mostly men, and if they managed to capture you somehow, you need to be able to stand up to them."

"Y-yes…" she said, meekly. Suddenly, she found Will standing next to her, and she 'meeped' again, almost stumbling into Huey and instead falling on her bottom. Huey glared at Will dangerously, but he smiled nicely and Huey seemed to accept it, though she still snorted.

"See? You need to be able to deal with this, at the very least." He said, turning his smile to her, and she nodded. He offered her his hand, but it took several minutes of the two staying in the same position before she reached out, shakily, and took his hand. He pulled her up, and she quickly turned back to Huey, burying her face into the pegasus's mane.

Will continued to stand there, and slowly Florina tried to turn. It was only maybe an inch at a time, and it took another long time to do. Will continued to stand there, that same soft smile on his face. _I shouldn't let myself get scared. After all, he's an ally, someone Lyn trusts._

"Good." She heard Will's voice softly in front of her. She still had a hard time not losing balance again; presence was one thing, talking was another. She couldn't help but silently curse herself for it. She kept looking at the ground until she was able to take a ready stance, trying to look Will in the face.

"You're holding your lance wrong." He said softly. "You need to hold it high, not clutch it to you." He said, resisting the urge to correct it manually. She would probably run off screaming if he did that, and Lyn would be out for blood. She had made it perfectly clear that anyone that made Florina cry would suffer dearly for it.

She nodded, attempting to correct it. Will noted the position was still incorrect, so as quickly as he could he slipped behind the young girl, adjusting her arms quickly into the correct position. He then slipped back around and glanced her up and down, affirming the position with a nod. Huey hadn't moved, and neither had Florina. "Like that." He said simply, continuing like nothing had happened.

Huey had let him come close. Not only that, but she had let him adjust her lance positioning without making a sound. A boy had touched her. This mere fact made Florina feel… very strange. She couldn't even place what the feeling was. She looked at Will, but couldn't hear what he was saying. This went on for a couple minutes until she noticed him looking at her rather peculiarly.

"You okay?" He asked a third time, and this time she heard him, and nodded. He shook his head as he sighed. He'd probably be in a lot of trouble for this later. "Look, we'll do more when we set up camp tomorrow. Let's head back." Florina nodded again, trying to remember her new battle position. She had a feeling it would really help her. Huey was making a lot of snorts that sounded like laughter.

"No, I'm not." Florina told her Pegasus grumpily, as she followed Will back towards the camp.

"Smell that? I think Kent found something good!" Will said, turning and giving her a grin. He might as well make the most of tonight, since Lyn would murder him tomorrow.

Florina couldn't help it. She smiled too. Huey snorted again. "Oh shut up." She said, and Huey gave as close to a grin as a Pegasus could.

* * *

She had ripped that damned dress of hers. Again. On the other side, this time. Of course, he refused to fix it. Adamantly.

"Erky, I want you to fix my dress while I take a bath in the river. That way you won't peek on me." The young cleric said, pushing her hair back in a sweep. How she had managed to get hair from her pigtails into her face was a mystery

"Like hell I'd peek on you." He muttered, under his breath. "I'm not fixing your dress. You do it." He said simply sitting down and opening his book.

"I told you before, I'm too important. Now DO IT!" The cleric responded, angrily trying to accentuate the rips to force him to comply.

"NO." He stated even more firmly. There was no way in hell he'd ever do something as stupid and demeaning as that.

So here he was, fixing that damned girl's dress while she bathed. He cursed himself for his weakness. He was so going to demand a raise if this kept up all the way to Ostia. There was no way he was being paid enough.

"EEK! ERKY! A MONKEY STOLE MY TOWEL!" Came a screech from the river. He sighed, putting down the re-sown dress and chasing after the monkey that had just crossed his path, towel in teeth. He was SO not getting paid enough for this.

* * *

A man around the age of twenty with green hair sat in the glittering halls, sharpening an arrow. "Rath." Said the Marquess. "Keep a sharp lookout. I've heard that trouble is brewing in Lycia. An inheritance dispute." Rath nodded silently. He had nothing to say. He would merely do his duty. "If she truly resembles Lady Madelyn… perhaps we shall offer her aid."

That Marquess often talked to himself, mainly about this Madelyn. He had obviously been in love with her. He wondered what had happened to their relationship. He was often sent away before he was able to ask. Not that he really needed to know.

* * *

"Matthew, you understand?" The lord said, coughing lightly.

"Of course, Lord Uther." The man named Matthew said, smiling. "I am to offer my… services, but not give away my position, yes?"

"That's correct." The lord said, coughing again.

"Alrighty, I'll help them out and be back before you know it. Take a break, will ya? You could use one." He said before zipping off, blending into the shadows and he vanished from sight.

"Yes yes, you all say the same things…" The lord said, with another cough. "A break would be welcome but… I do not have the time."


	10. In Occupation's Shadow

**Author's note**: Had a small break there, had to pack up and move so it wasn't really in my best interest to edit stuff while moving. however, now that I'm all good and settled, here's the next chapter! School is fast approaching, so once more, I'll mention that these updates will take a bit longer than I might like. I like the story, and plan to keep writing it far into the future, but it's just low on the priority list.

* * *

Chapter 10: In Occupation's Shadow

After that… he felt that part of his memory become especially fuzzy. The Three D Angel squad became famous to those with enough of a network. The symbols Nergal had branded into them became the original basis for their wanted posters. Jaffar's angel wings which were pierced by arrows, was tattooed into his shoulder. Mark Angel of Deceit tattoo, a flag that had holes in it fluttering in the wind, was tattooed onto his left hand. Finally, Will's Angel of Despair tattoo was on his collarbone, was a skull, but instead of the crossed bones that would make it a pirate tattoo, one bone was replaced with a sword, and the other a lightning bolt.

No matter what he was doing, fear always found him. He continuously ran scenarios of escape through his head, all of which ended in the same way. He would die. The net that surrounded him was too strong for one person to break. And yet, he felt the need to keep trying. Nergal was human, not some sort of God. He made mistakes just like everyone else. There had to be a way.

The only things he had to look forward to aside from escape fantasies were his brief talks with Nino, when he wasn't swamped with work. He also took a small pleasure in conversing with their prisoners, as inadvisable as that seemed. Over time it felt like he was becoming more and more like Jaffar. His envy from before had all but evaporated at this sad feeling that overtook him every time he noticed. It felt like he was turning into someone the world would hate.

He took small consolation in slipping the two prisoners extra food that he'd take from his own dinner, if only to assuage his guilt. They always thanked him for his kindness. Eventually he found himself telling them stories as well. The stories were always of a personal nature, but since it was a story he was able to let out his true feelings without telling them exactly what the events were about. He felt like even with his haphazard masking, they could easily see what it was he was really saying.

They listened without speaking, until the stories were done. Then they would ask about the mysterious masked man who wished he wasn't such a villain. Why couldn't the man leave? Didn't he have any friends he could trust? Why couldn't he talk with the green haired girl that seemed like a sidekick, or the two prisoners he was forced to watch that seemed like better people than those he worked for.

Eventually he did trust them, if only a little. They came to call him friend, and he couldn't bring himself to stop them. The word felt so much better than anything he had been called before, that he couldn't stop himself from liking them. But if he was truly their friend, wasn't it his job to get them out of this predicament?

It did seem like a good idea to him, but how could he pull it off? Mark was not to be trusted under any circumstances. He loved killing and watching people die as a result of their actions. He didn't even call killing a duty or necessary evil. He called it 'art.' Will knew the proper term was murder.

Then… an answer had come. In a form he hadn't expected in the least… If memory served, she called herself Maria.

* * *

Will shot up again, his breathing heavy as always when waking from memory. He continued to be assaulted by his memories of The Fang. He wondered if he'd ever be rid of them, but his sad laugh told him otherwise. His only real memories were there. With Nino, Jaffar, Lloyd, Linus, Nils, Ninian, and… others. Even then, he still wanted to forget.

"Rough dreams?" Asked Wil, his new tent mate. They had finally managed to pick up an extra tent from an abandoned bandit camp they had found. Will jumped on the chance to gather supplies, and though Kent and Lyn seemed a little disappointed in him for looting a homestead, but they didn't say anything. He was grateful they didn't. He hated arguments about survival.

Will and Wil were both still laughing about how confused things got with both of them around. NO matter who was calling, both would instantly turn, usually responding with a 'what?' that put off whoever had called. They had even accidentally scared Florina once into tears, though both apologized profusely afterwards.

Nearly a week had passed since Will had met the young archer and pegasus knight. Will had continued Florina's training religiously. She still had trouble keeping the lance up high when attacking targets. He had to correct her several more times, though he had started to show her a lot more then telling, which was helping. He'd borrowed Kent's lance, which he would never use in an actual battle, being a complete dud with it, but he could take the proper stances to show her.

"Today's going to be another long one. Hope we find a good campsite this time, these wide open spaces are more dangerous by the day." Wil said, grabbing his bow and quiver.

"I've got a feeling we will. Though for some reason I also get the feeling it'll be an even longer night." Will said. Wil looked at him curiously, but the tactician merely shrugged with a small smile.

* * *

Meanwhile in Caelin, Mark was smiling pleasantly at a thoughtful Lord Lundgren. "You mean she's not dead yet?" Lundgren asked, with concern in his voice.

"Do not worry, my lord. Will's skill is formidable, but once I give him my message…" His smile grew slightly. "We will have no more problems. I guarantee it."

"Are you sure you can get him on our side?" Lundgren asked, eyeing his tactician now with a hint of doubt. "Will you at least get him to leave the girl's company so we can kill her?"

Mark held up a single, black rose. The rose seemed to glow in his hand. "He will join us in your castle, my lord, or die outside it." He said, handing the rose to Lundgren. As he took it, the Man's face fell from its pensive state to a blank slate. His jaw dropped open and his eyes seemed to vacate his body as he spoke next.

"Of course you will… Go now, Lord Mark. Show them your power." He said, and Mark gave a bow, turning with a rustling of his black cloak. A moment later, the throne room was empty except for the man who sat in the throne, the blank look still fixed upon his face.

"We will meet once more, Will. A joyous reunion been planned for us." He picked up some books, putting them in his bag. One had the Genpest symbol on it. Another, the Bolting symbol. The third was the symbol for Elfire. The last had a symbol of Aura on it, and it looked the most dangerous of the four.

"This will merely be my greeting… an incentive for you to find me…" His laugh turned wicked, and a nearby guard who heard the sound dropped his weapon and fled, never to be heard from again.

"Will… I wonder what your story has in store for you now…" His smile remained disgustingly fixed in place, as the Tactician left the castle for parts unknown. Soon he would see and old friend. It was promising to be quite the reunion.

_The roses you provided work perfectly, Lord Nergal… _He thought, with a small glance back in the direction of the castle. Lundgren was proving to be the best scapegoat they could've hoped for.

* * *

The day had been long and hard on all of them. Will had started them marching early and hadn't stopped once, even as the sun was now beginning to set. The tactician seemed in a rush, though he didn't explain why. When asked during different parts of the day by Kent, Lyn and Florina he simply shrugged in response. The shrug was the same one he had given Wil that morning. Finally he had decided to try and look for a good camping spot for the night, of which the group was extremely grateful.

At the moment Wil was scouting ahead with Sain, looking for their nesting spot for the night. Will had told them to try and find something that would provide shelter, rather than an open field like what they had been using the past week. Finally they seemed to stumble on something that seemed quite promising to the archer.

"Sain, look at this beauty!" He said, running to the fortress wall. "Looks pretty sturdy… I can't hear any bandit chatter from inside or battle cries either. I say this is tonight's bed!" He declared, as if the matter were already settled. They waited for the others, who caught up to them after only a couple minutes more of marching.

**We've traveled quite a way westwards. Finally we've reached a ruined fortress, and it looks like that'll be where we stay for the night. Ganelon bandits are currently hot on our trail and that fact alone gives me good cause to be cautious. If we aren't vigilant we may end up in another fight.**

Will was writing this, not noticing Lyn was looking at it over his shoulder the whole time. She took special notice when he added a small and hasty post-script.

**Maria, if you could see me now, I wonder what you would say. I must look silly, playing at being a tactician…**

He closed the book quickly with a snap, seeming to cut off his own train of thought as he did so. The others looked at him in surprise at the sudden sound, but he smiled and shook off their looks with a wave of his hand. As he pocketed his notebook, he didn't notice Lyn looking at him curiously. _Who is that Maria person he wrote about? Is she someone… close to him?_

"This mildewy old fortress? Is that the best we can do?" Sain complained, cutting off the rest of Lyn's thought. It had been rather cold lately, both at day and night. None of them save perhaps Lyn was used to it, and even Will had to admit it was a poor choice for a bed overall.

"The bandits around here keep everything in turmoil. Nowhere around here is truly safe. Besides that, the Ganelon bandits are after us. I doubt the threat they shouted at us as they ran was just an idle one. No one would take us in around here, nor do I particularly want them to. They'd either be leading us into a trap or signing their own death warrant." Will said, patting Sain's horse. Sain sighed dramatically to show he understood, but didn't have to like it.

Lyn nodded her approval. "It's perfectly fine, Sain. Who needs to be inside, anyway? I love to feel the wind blowing…" She trailed off, and Will shot her a glance. She blushed slightly, and looked away. A part of her was already starting to miss the plains.

"I'm just happy to be here with you all." Florina said, and Wil nodded in agreement.

"Well then, as for the protection of the ladies…" Sain began, but Kent cut him off.

"Sain, you and I are on guard duty. Will, you watch over the other three. We'll switch in about four hours." Everyone nodded to this. Will was fine with letting Kent handle the scheduling of the watch, as he was always relatively fair about it. He did shift it when he though others needed an extra wink or two, or if anyone was injured. He gave it a brief once over, giving Kent a small knock for trying to take an extra shift and putting himself up for it instead. Thankfully Kent's injury had finally healed, so they were at full strength, but he didn't want to take any risks.

Kent gave Will a skeptical glance when he returned the schedule, and Will shrugged. "I don't think I could sleep tonight anyway. Something about the air here makes me on edge…" he shivered slightly, and the others looked at him. "It's probably nothing though." He said, waving them off again. Just then, a woman stepped from the shadows, grabbing onto Will for support. Her leg appeared to be injured, which is what kept Will from jumping back in total shock and dropping her. Kent and Sain had almost reached for their weapons, but seeing the state of the woman in question stopped them.

"Who are you?" Lyn asked, seemingly unaffected by the woman's entrance. Florina and Wil were on opposite sides of the room, clutching their chests as they let out small gasps of surprise.

"I'm sorry for my sudden appearance… my name is Natalie. I live not far from here… ow!" Her foot seemed to give way and she nearly toppled Will over as she grabbed him, though he managed to lower her to the ground without further incident.

"Your leg…" Will said, reaching into his bag for a vulnerary.

She waved him off quickly. "It's from a childhood sickness I had. I can't travel far on foot, but it doesn't trouble me much in daily life."

"Why are you here alone?" Kent asked. Wil and Florina had now slightly recovered, walking over to them, but still looking like they had seen a ghost.

"My husband. I heard he was around here somewhere. He left to raise money to get my leg fixed, but… I'm worried about him. He hasn't even had a chance to write since his departure… I'm afraid he might be involved in something dangerous." She rustled in her pocket, pulling out a sketch she had made. "This is just a rough sketch of him. It's not as flattering as I hoped it would be, but it gets his general features across. Have any of you seen him?"

Will took the picture and showed it to each person, but they all shook their heads after a few moments. He turned back to Natalie with a small shrug. "I don't think any of us have seen him. We're just passing through as part of our travels, after all."

Natalie didn't give up easily. "His name is Dorcas. Have you perhaps heard of him?" Again, no one had anything they could offer her.

Will shook his head sadly. "We've heard nothing of him, sorry." Will said, as lightly as he could.

"If you do find him in your travels, could you please tell him Natalie is looking for him?" She asked, as Will handed her back the picture.

"That I can promise." He said, smiling. The others also smiled and nodded in turn. Natalie wiped the tears from her face and smiled thankfully.

* * *

The Bandits continued to raise their clamor as they rushed through the empty fields. The sun had only just started to go down, but none of them were the least bit tired of pursuing their prey. They traveled fast, but couldn't get away.

"We've finally caught up to them, boss!" An underling cried. As the company came to a hault, spotting the red armored knight at the entrance to a fort.

"Hiding in a fortress, eh? This'll be good for us. We'll simply surround them, and…" He made a chopping gesture with his hand, and then laughed mirthfully.

"Yeah, we wait until night falls, and then slit their—"The underling began, but a blow to his back stopped him.

"IDIOT!" The leader said, angrily. "There are only a few of them, and there are women among them! We'd be the laughing stock of the world if we did that! I will not be so wasteful!"

The underling looked at the leader with eyes that sparkled in admiration. "Carjiga, you're so smart!" The underling cried. "We'll get our revenge and some souvenirs to boot!"

Carjiga nodded. "Spread out and encircle them!" He yelled, motioning his arms this way and that. "Finish this before the sun sets!" Then he turned to a man next to him, one holding an axe that worked like a boomerang, quite a handy tool for a bandit. "You, Dorcas. If that weapon isn't just for show, then prove it now! Take the east entrance, and capture the women inside. Kill the men. Do so, and I'll increase your share."

Dorcas gave a little nod, and went on his way. "Women, eh?" He muttered quietly to himself. "Natalie's heart would break to hear of my doings…"

* * *

Kent had heard a cry from the forest, and knew immediately what was occurring. He raced to the back room where the others were. "Will, bandits!" He called, and everyone was on alert.

"Persistent buggers, aren't they?" Sain said jokingly, and everyone cracked a small smile. Will took this chance to stand, moving one finger to his forehead as he tapped it in thought.

_Escape likely to be cut off in span of thirty minutes. Likeliness of success: twenty percent. Natalie's inability to move well creates an entirely different problem, as we can't just pack our gear and use the steeds to go. Also Florina's pegasus cannot fly too well inside the fort, as she has to rise slowly to avoid injuring herself and Huey. Similarly Wil can find a decent post to shoot from, but will have to take his shots much more carefully than usual. There are two entrances, front and east side. Unfortunately, the West side also looks unstable, and it's likely they'll try to break through it. The back side however is very sturdy, so it's unlikely they'll attack from there. Best idea: Buckle down for a siege tactic. Lyn guards the East, Kent and Sain the front. Florina, Wil and Myself are variable, with slight focus on West side in case of attack. Likelihood of success: sixty-five percent. Variable: Lyn. Fighting alone leaves her vulnerable. One mistake will make us overrun. Is there nothing better I can come up with? Hang on… last time didn't they… hmm… this is a risk, but I suppose anything is worth a shot._

As Will tapped his forehead once more, he opened his eyes, noting that everyone had fallen silent as was looking at him. He'd have to make this fast. "Natalie can't move well." Will said, pacing fast and talking faster. "We need to keep them outside the walls, and if we get the chance, break through to their leader. If we hold out until the sun sets, they'll probably leave. They can't fight in the dark any better than we can, and we've got the fortresses natural defenses in our favor." He said, and everyone nodded to this plan of action.

"Wil, take the opening near the west wall. They may try to break through it, but you can shoot them down, right?" He asked, and Wil nodded.

"There's enough of a gap and climbable material that I should be able to make a good fight out of it, if anything else. Just don't leave me there alone for too long." He said, before heading off.

"Sain, you and Kent take the entrance. Do not give them an inch edgewise. Strike them down however you need to. Do not hesitate, and don't show them mercy." Kent and Sain nodded, before heading off. They took their horses, parking them next to the entrance as the two stood firm, watching the first bandits come their way.

"Florina, stay here and protect Natalie for now. I'll come back and get you if we need you, or send someone to send you." He said, and she nodded. She gripped he lance tightly, regretting that Huey was out of his element.

"Lyn, you and I are the east wall. I won't be there for too long, but we need to make sure you can hold it." Lyn nodded, and the two headed off together.

First blood was struck quickly. As the first bandit charged the entrance, Kent shoved his sword into the oncoming man's chest. This was followed by Sain, who delivered a swift lance strike to a swordsman who followed the first. The wave of bandits soon reached them, and the two fought, keeping their bodies in front of the door as they parried and struck. Two more bandits fell within that minute of fighting.

Wil noticed bandits searching the west wall already. He shot their archer down quickly with his first shot, as Will's hammering of lessons had taught him that range weapons were always a bit more dangerous with their unpredictable range. This meant the swordsman and an axeman now knew where he was. This was where the fun part began.

Lyn and Will immediately found themselves under attack at the east wall, but the man they were fighting didn't look much like the other bandits. Will felt like he recognized the man from somewhere, and it only took a moment for it to register. He had seen it mere minutes before. "Lyn, isn't that..?" He began, but was pushed down by Lyn as she helped them both dodge his axe.

"I'll try and talk to him, hold tight." She said, and rushed to the man.

Will once more found himself muttering a warning after she had already left. "She'll get herself killed that way." He growled, before running after her.

"You there, are you Dorcas?" Lyn asked, and the man stopped himself mid-swing.

"How do you know my name?" He asked in a calm, yet firm voice.

Will reached them and spoke. "Natalie told us when she asked of you. Why are you with these bandits?" He asked, and Dorcas's face fell.

"I need the money. This is the only way to earn gold in these parts right now. I'd do anything for her… even this." He said, preparing his axe once more.

"You would do anything? Does that include hurting your wife?" Dorcas paused once more, eyeing Lyn. "We're protecting her in this fortress this very moment!" she explained.

"She's here? Natalie's here?" Dorcas asked, flabbergasted.

"Yes. She came looking for you. Dorcas… do you think your actions would please your wife? Would she want this for you?" Lyn asked, her steely gaze penetrating the man's calm demeanor. He felt his heart breaking.

"No… she wouldn't." He looked at Lyn with his honest eyes. "I'm done with the bandits here and now." He turned around, throwing his axe at an approaching bandit, who found it buried in his chest. Dorcas grabbed the fallen man's axe without a second thought. "I will fight with you to protect her. If you'll permit me"

Will smiled. This was a most fortuitous turn of events for them. "Alright then. I have a task for you to perform." He said, seeing the reinforcements heading their way.

Kent was doing fine, but Sain had been hit a few times and required a moment to use a vulnerary. Kent mounted his horse, letting out a yell that caught the attention of the bandits. He rode from the fort, cutting down one man with his sword while using his lance to stab another through the abdomen. He rode into the trees nearby, forcing the bandits to give chase. In the trees, he managed to land another fatal blow on an enemy, while Sain came from behind and took out the other, now fully patched up.

"This was supposed to be easy!" Carjiga roared, and pointed to one of his men. "You, go get more men! Now! We must crush them before the sun sets!" The man obliged, more afraid of being killed by the leader than by the people inside the fortress as he scrambled away.

Wil would judge his current performance as adequate. He had shot down the swordsmanonly wasting one arrow on a parry while ensuring his second landed dead center. The axeman had been hit twice, once in each shoulder, but refused to go down. He drew his bow once more, trying to take aim, but as he did he heard a loud crumbling sound, and realized the man had broken through the wall. "Oh damn…" He said, looking towards his quiver, and realized he was down to three arrows. "Double damn."

Dorcas was huffing slightly, but he reached the point described to him by Will. The young girl and her Pegasus were there, and she immediately readied her lance to attack. He held up his hands to show no weapon and she paused. "Peace. Will sent me."

Florina still looked at the stranger with suspicion, but Natalie tugged on her sleeve. "It's Dorcas… you can go. He won't hurt me one bit. I promise that it's him." Florina nooded, before spurring Huey toward the correct passageway.

After Florina had gone, Natalie threw herself into her husband's arms. "Oh Dorcas! It's you! I'm so happy to see you!"

"Natalie… what were you thinking?" He asked quietly as he hugged her back. "Why did you follow me?"

She shook her head as she held back her tears. "I was worried! Please… don't put yourself into such danger for me! Please!" She continued to hug him.

"I must've been out of my head." He whispered, though she caught every word. "Those two really opened my eyes to the truth."

"Do you mean Lyn and Will?" She asked, but at that time they heard the crash of a wall breaking down. Dorcas pulled out his axe.

"We'll talk more later. First we must drive these bandits off. Don't move from here, Natalie." He said, and hurried off.

"I'll be waiting when you get back." She said, smiling to herself.

"Will! I'm here!" Florina called, and he waved her over. Then she saw the ten swordsmen coming. "Where's Lyn?"

"She's taking care of the leader, as I requested." He said, pulling out his sword. He gave Huey a little pat. "It's you and me now." He said, and raised his sword above his head, in a pose more commonly used by fliers. She knew he was doing it to put her at ease when fighting alongside him, since that style was close to the one Lyn used. She smiled to herself as she readied her lance. "Lances beat swords, you won't have any trouble." Will said, and she did her best to suppress her fear. She found she was slightly more worried about Will than herself. He didn't seem like he was ready for the fight.

Wil stumbled back, barely dodging another strike from the axe. This guy was a monster, having two more of Wil's arrow sticking out of his body and still was coming for him. He realized he had made a big mistake when he found himself against the wall, as the bandit now bared down on him without a chance for him to escape. The bandit smiled, raised his axe to strike and…

SPLAT. The sound was far from a pleasant one. Blood splattered the wall, and Wil looked at the axe now embedded in the bandit's skull with surprise. "You okay?" Asked Dorcas, lugging the iron axe. Wil nodded.

"I'm going to go out on a limb and say you're an ally sent to reinforce me." He said. Dorcas nodded simply in response.

Kent had now cut off one of their faucets of reinforcements, finishing off the relay messenger with a swift strike of his lance. In a similar fashion Sain had cut off the other group of enemies, leaving the leader alone. They smiled at each other briefly, and turned to the sounds of fighting that were still occurring in the fort.

Lyn approached the leader, silently drawing her Mani Katti. The leader at first shouted an order at her to bring more men, but quickly noticed that she wasn't one of his men… far from it. His axe was out in an instant. "Come to kill me have you?" He asked, laughing. Lyn simply nodded. The clash of metal came but seconds afterwards, as the Man smashed his axe onto the swordswoman's parry.

Will dodged another sword strike. He was finding that he was actually quite nimble in comparison to most. The problem was he couldn't kill unless he aimed for fatal strikes. He didn't have the strength for head on combat, and his non combative nature was starting to get in his way. There were too many enemies at once to properly disarm or discourage them. Nevertheless he was fighting two men at the same time, While Florina kept the other four at bay. She seemed to be faring much better in battle than he was, but she still had a bad gash across one of her legs. She had cut down two enemies already, and the other four were now so badly wounded they couldn't move anymore. She let out a sigh of relief at the result.

Will stabbed one through the stomach, and the man fell to his blade. That was his second kill this battle. He quickly turned to parry a blow from the second, but his block wasn't in time. He felt the blow strike, and his sword clattered to the ground as blood sprayed from his dominant hand. His hand was still attached, which he took as the smallest of blessings. He clutched his hand angrily as he watched the man raise his sword once more.

Florina watched the fight with trepidation, and when she saw Will fall she urged Huey forward with all her might without a second thought. Before the sword could swing down she landed her lance into the man's chest with her best stab. "Nice landing." Will said, smirking slightly through the pain. He obviously wasn't in good shape, and she could tell that if she didn't drag him over to get treatment he'd likely end up in really bad shape. She couldn't let that happen.

She gulped and approached Will, who was beginning to feel his vision blur. He must've overdone it, because he felt an insane wave of fatigue hit him all at once with the pain. His eyes closed, and he collapsed into Florina. She 'meeped' for what must've been the hundredth time since she met him. She grabbed him though, and pulled him onto Huey, though she wasn't sure how she had managed it. Then she led Huey back inside the fortress. Their fight had cut off the final group of reinforcements.

Lyn's sword knocked the bandit's axe out of his hand. She was the tiniest bit pleased to see the horror in his eyes. "Sorry, but you've killed one too many lately." She said, and her sword cleanly cut him down the middle. He didn't have time to say anything, and fell to the ground in a bloody heap.

"Damn it! These guys ain't human! Come on you rogues, retreat!" The second in command yelled, and what was left of the bandits fled, a much weaker threat than before.

Lyn entered the fortress only to see something not to her liking. Everyone was fine except for Will, who was unconscious with his sword hand wrapped up in a bandage. Florina had a cut that was well on its way to healing, and the others didn't even looked too scratched. A few vulneraries had been used on the injury, but a sad Florina said he wouldn't be able to hold his weapon for at least another day or two, assuming he healed normally.

"At least it's over." She said sitting down next to Will with a sigh. "Dummy hasn't even been healed for more than a week and he's already injured again." Despite her harsh words, she continued to sit next to Will, and didn't move for a while.

* * *

Silence fell for a short while until Natalie hugged her husband again, seeming to have used up her supply of patience. "Dorcas!"

He smiled in spite of himself. "I'm sorry, Natalie." He said softly, but she shook her head quickly. Apparently all subtlety went out the window, and she promptly kissed her husband with all her might. The others attempted to look away tactfully.

"All's well that ends well, right?" Will said, making the others jump. They hadn't realized he was awake. "So what's the verdict?" He asked, looking at Florina. She blushed in shame, and looked away.

"You won't be able to fight for a few days. Assuming you heal properly, you'll be able to fight again though." She said, her words becoming quieter by the word to the point that no one could hear her.

He took this surprisingly well, and seemed to have caught every word. "That's it? Well, considering I can't fight much anyway, that's not a big loss." He laughed, but fell silent as Lyn glared at him again. He wasn't sure why she was angry this time, but he supposed he should've tried to be more careful.

"I can still train you guys and give you advice, right?" He asked, and they nodded. "Then there's no problem. I'll just be careful and heal up." He stood up, taking care of his hand as he did so. "Dorcas, could you come with me?" he asked somewhat forcefully. Dorcas obliged, prying himself from his wife after assuring her he'd be right back. The two exited the room and seemed to be headed outside.

"Is that safe?" Lyn asked, starting to go after him, but Kent stopped her with one hand.

"He'll be fine. The bandits are gone." He said sternly, and Lyn sighed. Sain seemed to be thinking about something, particularly after Lyn's sigh, a strange smile playing around his face. Lyn wasn't sure if that was a good sign or a bad one.

"You have experience fighting." Will said. Dorcas noted he was saying that as a statement. So it wasn't up for debate then.

He chose to take it in stride. "You clearly need more." He countered, which made Will laugh.

"Yes well, this isn't about my battle prowess. It's about yours." Dorcas stayed silently. "I may not be much of a fighter, but I am one. We're undertaking quite a large task, and any help we can get I have to try."

"Explain." Dorcas said, and Will launched into their story so far, starting with when he and Lyn had met Sain and Kent, and moving to now. He left out his meeting with Lyn since it seemed pretty superfluous now.

"So, you need more bodies to throw at this Lungren character?" He asked, and Will nodded. Dorcas smiled. "I would be honored to help you in return for what you've done for Natalie."

Will smiled as well. "I'll make sure you get something out of all this, okay? I don't plan to just let you walk away without something for your troubles." Dorcas simply nodded.

It was maybe an hour later when Dorcas and Natalie were ready to go. Will was inside with Wil and Florina were tending to him. Mainly Wil, as Florina just kept guard over the room and didn't get close out of fear. Will wasn't sure how she had tended to him earlier.

"Our village is close by." Dorcas said, looking in the direction of it. "I will take Natalie there and return in the morning."

Lyn was taken aback. "We're not saying goodbye?"

Dorcas shook his head. "I've been asked by Will to join your little band of mercenaries. He even offered to pay me himself."

"But we're headed to Lycia…" Lyn started, but Dorcas shook his head again, and this time Natalie spoke. "We agreed on this after talking it over, my lady. Please… watch over my husband for me."

Lyn looked at Kent and Sain, who gave her encouraging nods. She looked at Natalie herself, before nodding as well.

Later that night, the group was sitting in the fortress. "It's finally calmed down." Will said brightly, finally breaking the silence.

Florina, Wil, and Lyn had all fallen asleep. Kent and Sain sat around the fire with him once more, just like the first night they had stayed up talking to each other.

"We'll keep watch. You should get some rest and try to heal up." Kent said.

Will shook his head. "Wil, Florina, and Sain were all injured in the last fight too, though not as badly." He said, brushing Kent's words aside. "My wound is nothing."

They both sighed at him. "You need to take better care of yourself. We can't rely on you if you collapse in the middle of the fight." Sain said, proving once again that he wasn't just a knight that liked women. By now Will knew there was more to him than meets the eye. "You've been injured more than healed during the time we've been together. I'd like to see you at full strength rather than half."

"Well… are you sure?" He asked, uncertainly.

Sain sighed at his stubborness. "Sure… Kent would make me stay up anyways." He joked as he waved his hand.

Will laughed, and then turned serious. "You know that bandits won't hesitate to cut your throat in your sleep if they get the chance, right?"

Sain looked hurt. "You doubt my bravery! I am a knight of Caelin! There is no need to worry! Right Kent?" He said, looking at his companion.

"We'll take care of anything suspicious, rest assured." He said, as serious as ever, and Sain took the chance to flash a 'V' sign at Will.

"Alright, alright…" He said, giving in. "I'll get some sleep. Be careful though." He said, and walked himself to his and Wil's tent, and entered.

"Come on Sain." Kent said, pulling Sain to the entrance of their little camp, a narrow corridor.

"No one ever trusts me…" He said with a sigh, and took up his night watch, without another word.

* * *

The long blonde hair swayed as the person stretched. Studies always took so long to do, and there was always time to pray. This meant it took forever to get from one place to another. Though, in truth, it was enjoyable. Living one's life devoted to others was a truly blessed existence.

Of course, it was not without its problems either. There was always a shortage of money, a never a shortage on fights. Lives were not to be wasted, but St. Elimine did not condone allowing oneself to be killed either.

A soft sigh escaped the lips of the blonde haired person as they examined their purse. "I have enough for a meal… the people of this town were less generous than others I have passed through…" It was time to move on to the next destination.

* * *

"YOU MEAN TO TELL ME." Said Erk, in a voice of forced calm, though it was still extremely loud. "THAT YOU HAVE BEEN LEADING ME ON A DETOUR FOR A NEW DRESS?!" On the last word he had lost his composure, his voice jumping an octave and nearly cracking in anger.

"That's right Erky. I needed a new one since mine ripped." The cleric said with a sigh, waving off his anger like it was a common house fly.

"THEN WHY DID YOU HAVE ME SOW IT UP?!" He shouted, completely baffled.

"Quiet down Erky, you're making a scene." She responded, now shooing him away like some kind of vermin.

Erk clenched his fist, and stormed outside. He was never going to make it to Ostia. He'd fry her with his fire tome first.

Of course in about an hour they were on their way again. Erk couldn't help but mentally smack himself for not leaving her in that town alone. At least she'd been too busy shopping to annoy him. Though he wondered if that voice would ever leave his head now.

"And then, you wouldn't believe it! He said 'Serra, go away.' I mean, that was totally rude, wasn't it?" She said, complaining about somebody she had met in town or something equally whatever he didn't care.

Erk just stayed silent, and kept walking as fast as was allowed. He'd get there as fast as he could, and tune her out as bets he could. He needed the money. That thought was all that kept him going now.

* * *

She tripped. The boy ran to her and helped her up. "Come on Ninian, we can't stop now!" He cried, and she nodded, though her legs were exhausted.

"Nils… I don't know how much longer I can do this… I'm so tired…" She said as she gasped for breath.

Nils tugged her arm again, his heart crying out for his sister. "Just a bit longer… He promised he'd find us again. He will… He'll help us. I know he will." He said.

Ninian got to her feet, and smiled. "Yes… you're right. Let's keep going." And they sped off again, hearing the sound of hooves not far behind.


	11. Pasts That Haunt

**Author's note:** Rewrites are taking a bit longer now, since I'm running into more I need to change bit by bit. Most of it is still in adding some better descriptors to things though. Also, Welcome Dorcas! He's probably my favorite character that for some reason I never use, mainly because he's just a normal nice guy with a caring wife that wants to do right by her. How can you dislike that?

* * *

Chapter 11: Pasts That Haunt

Yes… She had given him what he needed. Some might say he was using her, but it really wasn't like that. If anything, it was a mutual agreement between the two to use each other. But the best way to show that would be to start from the beginning.

Being fourteen years of age now, it was easy for Will to tell the difference between things that worked and things that didn't. His tactical prowess had improved greatly over time, do to constant life and death struggles with no true weapon skills to aid him. Of course, the AD squad took on more and more dangers, making it that much harder to survive. Nergal had apparently decided to add another.

"This is Maria. Our newest Angel." He said. I wondered if she felt as I had. Disgusted to be so close to a thing like that. She did seem to be shivering.

"A child?" Mark said, skeptically. It didn't seem like a logical comment to make. All of them must've been in the age range of fourteen to twenty, Jaffar being twenty. It turns out that Mark was fifteen. This girl was fifteen as well, barely a year older than Will.

"She is just as capable as any one of you." Nergal said, smiling. Will hated that smile. It always hid people's true intentions all around him. He was beginning to wonder if any smile he saw was genuine, apart from Nino.

"The Angel of Destruction." Will said simply. On some nights he had thought about the possibility of Nergal adding another member of the squad. Upon reflection of their current names, it was the only one he could think of.

Nergal's smile told him he had answered correctly. "Yes. Good guess. Now the squad has four."

Will looked at her again, trying to size her up. When she shot him a curious glance in return, he merely turned away. When she was talking Will tried to infer any information that might be useful to him. He learned of her family, the one she had left to be here. He suspected that was a lie, and her family was actually dead. Nergal never pulled in families unless he got all of them at once, like Lloyd and Linus. She also walked like a person that cared about her appearance, not like any of the Black Fang members at all, who all seemed to walk with hunched shoulders and downcast eyes. It was all this that told Will that this Maria girl had no plans to die. There was one final he learned one night while they were talking…

She was a spy for Ostia.

* * *

It was still early in the morning, but both Lyn and Florina knew they heard the sounds of training in the background. Both of them looked at each other in slight confusion, but soon shrugged as Lyn passed it off as Sain and Kent getting their blood running in the morning.

Will dodged Dorcas's club another time. Dorcas was faster than he let on, due to his tight lipped nature. Being an axe user meant that he was inevitably slower than Will, who was used to a lighter sword. Of course, Dorcas had much more power in exchange for this speed. Dorcas wasn't the only problem, though.

Wil launched a stick at Will, who dodged it again. If there was one thing he was confident in aside from his tactics, it was his dodging ability. He told them that while injured it was much easier to focus on dodging and he didn't have to worry as much about fighting an enemy at the same time. That was usually what ended in him being injured.

"Look, I'm going to need your help." He had told Kent, Sain, Wil, and Dorcas even earlier that morning. "I can't hinder you all in a fight, so I need to be well versed in dodging and holding off an enemy. At the very least I need to stop getting injured all the time." They all nodded to this.

Will had proven to be a great tactician in all their fights so far, and they had no reason to doubt him this time. Dorcas, seeing the others place their faith in him, had no reason not to do the same.

Kent and Sain's sticks were harder to dodge, as he had to be sure to not get run over by the horses at the same time. Despite that, he managed to roll through a small crack in their defenses. He gave a small sigh of relief at the end of the exercise.

The others seemed pleased as well, lowering their weapons as Wil offered Will a small congratulatory pat on the back. "Let's see…" Will said, ticking off his notebook. He had a feeling he'd need a new one by the end of this. "I've stayed alive long enough for people to come back and help me six times, and died… twenty-seven times."

Everyone sighed, but Kent shook his head. "Real battle will be different." He said, and Will nodded, hoping his assumption was correct.

Now they were seated around the fire again as their breakfast cooked. Will had explained what they had been doing nearby, though at first Florina and Lyn looked slightly surprised, they took it in stride after thinking about it.

"You could just stick near one of us, you know." Lyn said, voicing a thought as they ate their breakfast, a small plate filled with fruits and bits of fish. "Wouldn't that keep you safe enough?"

Will smiled slightly. "Well, the problem with that plan is that I need to be able to get around to everyone to give them advice, or send people to other places. The more people we have, the harder it becomes to do." He said, making Lyn sigh.

"Couldn't you just send other people over?" She asked.

"Lyn, don't worry about it. With my arm in this state it's best for me to be moving around battlefields anyway." He said.

"I'm just worried. You can't defend yourself for a short time. Wouldn't it be better to…?" She trailed off as Will shook his head.

"Sorry Lyn, no can do." He stood up, and motioned to Dorcas. They left together, probably for tactics training.

Lyn sighed. Kent looked at Will's retreating form. "He's been having trouble training himself in combat. It's something he's apparently never done before. Doing it all for your sake, milady. I think that should be enough for you." He also stood, and Sain joined him.

"He's a slippery guy. Doubt we'll find an axe in his head anytime soon." Sain said with a friendly wave, as the two left for their training session.

"Lyn…" Florina began, but Lyn ignored her as she stood up as well.

"Come on, Florina, we're going to train as well." Florina simply nodded, deciding to save the discussion for later.

Wil looked around, still having a piece of fruit in his mouth. When he noticed everyone had left, he jumped up, and hurried after Will.

* * *

"So…" Will said, explaining yet another tactic to Wil and Dorcas, Wil having joined them after a few minutes. "Here would be a good part for the three of you to break through."

He was talking about the two there and Lyn, as most of his strategies did. They still wondered why he did this, when in battle he still shouted out directions. Once again there were drawings tied to trees, and once more neither the axe man nor the archer could discern what on earth they were supposed to be. Thankfully Will had explained the situation as he usually did.

"Will, why bother? You give us directions in combat anyway." Wil said, wondering. Will smiled.

"For two reasons. One, I won't always be around to help, and it's best if you know how to fight enemies even if it's just a bandit or two. Two, if I die…" Both of them frowned at that, "You need to know strategies that can help you to the goal. If I become useless, you leave me and continue on, that's the law of the…" He trailed off. Both looked at him again, this time in confusion. His voice had become quiet. "Right… I'm not there anymore… it's not the law anymore… I live free…"

"Will, you okay?" Dorcas asked, snapping Will out of his brief reverie.

He smiled and shook his head, removing the thought from his mind. "Yeah, sorry. I was wrong. Look, I'm not going to die, okay? It's just an extra precaution."

Both shrugged at this. They weren't sure what he was talking about at all, to tell the truth. It also seemed like it wasn't a good thing to pry about, since Will was trying so valiantly to continue the lesson.

"I made a promise to Lyn to see her through. Well, more of an agreement than anything, but I'm not going to die until our goal is reached, okay?" Both smiled slightly, and nodded. Will gave a little nod, and continued. "Alright then. Now as for when you've got a pack of cavaliers coming towards you, it's best to…"

* * *

Kent and Sain's swords clashed with a resounding ring. They were careful enough not to injure each other, but they found they fought better with them than with the sticks Will recommended. They knew why, though.

"Are you sure you don't want to use a stick, Kent? You might lose an arm…" Sain joked, and Kent smiled slightly.

"I much too careful for that, Sain. You would be the one to lose an arm if we truly fought." Both laughed briefly, and then lowered their swords and bowed to each other. The duel ended in a draw.

"Alright, now for the lances?" Sain asked, reaching for his pack. Kent nodded.

"Although I might not be so lucky there. You train far too much with it." Kent shook his head. "You and your heroics, Sain."

Sain shrugged. "There is always the off chance that I will sweep an unsuspecting beauty off her feet with my amazing abilities." And they both laughed again.

"Whoever falls for that must read or hear too many knightly romance stories." Kent said, and their lances crossed for the first time, and Sain shrugged in return.

* * *

"Lyn…" Florina tried again. She had been blocking Lyn's more violent than usual strikes for the last half hour, only attacking her once or twice in the process.

"What, Florina?" She asked, through gritted teeth.

"Is something wrong? You've been acting all angry since breakfast." She said, and Lyn sighed, finally lowering the stick.

"I'm more disappointed in myself. If I'd been quicker taking out that leader, I could've come back to help you both." Florina sighed.

"You can't blame yourself Lyn… I mean, if it's anyone's fault it would be mine… I mean, I was with him and all…" She said, quietly, and Lyn walked over, and hugged her.

"Well, I feel responsible." She said, simply.

"Why?" Florina asked, curious.

"Well…" Lyn started. She might as well tell her, it wasn't like it was a lovey-dovey moment anyway. _I mean… it was just a talk. Yeah, I'll say it like that… And I didn't really mean for it to go like this… She'll understand, right?_ Lyn took a breath slowly, and said it as simply and as fast as she could. "Iaskedhimtolookafteryou."

Florina blinked. Lyn had spoken so quickly that she hadn't caught a single word of what she had said. "Sorry?"

"When you were unconscious, we agreed to take you and Wil with us, remember?" She said, and Florina nodded.

"Well, I also mentioned how you hadn't really completed your knight training …" Florina made a bit of an indignant squeak. "I'm sorry, but from when I last saw you…"

Florina sighed. "I know… I'm nowhere near as good as my sisters are… but still…"

Lyn nodded, and the silence stretched for a couple of seconds before Lyn continued. "So… I asked Will to train you, and help in whatever way possible. I think he said he would have done it with everyone anyways, but I asked him to… you know…"

"You asked him to take extra time with me?" She said, a little hurt showing on her face as she did so.

"Yeah… I did. You aren't… mad, are you?" Lyn asked, seeing the look on her face.

"I… I…" Florina tried. She wanted to say she wasn't mad, but in truth, she was. She thought that he was being a little too nice with her. She had thought it was just because he hadn't wanted to frighten her. But… "I am angry." She said, and headed back to camp. Lyn put her back against a tree, and looked at the sky. She had really messed up this time.

"What is wrong, fair Florina?" Sain asked, as Florina entered the camp. Kent had hunting duty, along with Wil. Will was still with Dorcas, apparently.

"Nothing." She said angrily, entering her tent without another word.

"Hmm…" Sain said, thinking to himself. His gaze drifted momentarily towards the place where Lyn no doubt remained, before his gaze returned to the tent. _I see…_

Shortly thereafter, Will and Dorcas entered the camp. They were still discussing tactics. Dorcas seemed much more adept at thinking up strategies than Will had known, and had known situations similar to the ones Will constructed. His insight had taught him quite a few new things in a short amount of time, for which he was exceedingly grateful.

"Guess there isn't much for you to learn, is there?" He said, grinning. Dorcas simply shrugged in response. As they approached, Sain continued to gaze at Lyn and Florina's tent, which caught his curiosity. "Something wrong, Sain?"

Sain looked around. "Dame Florina seemed upset when she returned from training with Lady Lyndis."

"Who doesn't?" Will sighed, plopping down next to him. Dorcas sat across from them.

"No, not in terms of defeat. It was a very different kind of anger. Like she heard something not to her liking… and Lady Lyndis has yet to return as well." Sain said pensively.

Will sighed, getting up. "Time to raise morale, is what you mean?" He said, with a stretch.

"I suppose so, though heavens help you when dealing with women. They are always the most easily angered when trying to cheer them up." Sain said, giving him a cheery wave, and Will went off to find Lyn first.

"So, you're a knight?" Dorcas asked.

"Oh? You'd like to hear my most gallant of tales, I gather?" Sain said, before launching into what must've been his entire life story. Dorcas tuned out within the first five minutes, so he wasn't really sure how much of it was true and what Sain had interpreted to his favor.

* * *

Kent and Wil had found a good couple of animals, both of which Wil shot down easily. Now they were carrying them back to camp. They had spent the entire day without a march. Mainly to give Will time to heal.

"So, tomorrow it's back to the grindstone, eh?" Wil said, cheerily.

Kent nodded. "True, but the Ganelon bandits will still pose a problem. Lundgren will be after us as well."

Wil was still smiling. "Aw, come on. We're better than those jerks!" He said.

Kent smiled slightly. "Yes… I suppose we are."

* * *

"Lyn?" She opened her eyes slowly at the sound of a voice. She must have dosed off while thinking to herself. Someone was shaking her lightly to rouse her.

"…Will? What's going… huh?" She mumbled in confusion, making Will laugh.

"It's getting late. How long have you been out here?" He asked. Looking over he noticed several trees were scraped up with marks made no doubt by her Mani Katti. She must have been at in a while, for none of the trees in sight failed to bear a mark of some kind from the sword. "You must've tired yourself out training. Come on, let's go back."

She nodded, and leaned against him tiredly as they went back. He allowed her to as they began to walk. "She's mad at me, you know…" Lyn said, sleepily. "I told her that I asked you to look after her, and she was mad… and I still thought it was my fault you were hurt…"

Will couldn't help but wonder if Lyn wasn't sleep-talking. She definitely didn't seem to be fully awake. "Don't talk nonsense. It's my fault I was hurt, and the one who attacked me. The blame can't lie with anyone else." Lyn leaned even further into him, and he sighed.

"You need some sleep. We have a long march tomorrow." He said, as they entered the camp. Kent, Wil, Sain, and Dorcas all raised their eyebrows at the sight of Lyn practically hanging off him. "She's trained a little too hard today." He said as an explanation. All of them shrugged.

He brought Lyn to her tent just as Florina was exiting it. It seemed she had been sleeping too, as she looked rather ruffled, most likely from tossing and turning. She just walked right by him to the fire, making sure to take the furthest seat from the others, and waited. Will put Lyn down onto her bed roll. "Just like any other girl…" He said, as she finally let go of him. "Hard to believe she's gone through so much."

"I'm not… the only one…" Lyn said, still sleepy. Will smiled. "You seem… a lot like me…"

Will stayed quiet for a moment, his face betraying no emotions he might have felt in that moment. "Sleep well, Lyn." He said, which caused her to smile. She was glad she had convinced him to not use her title.

"Just one thing…" She said, and he turned back. "Don't die on me."

"No need to worry." He said, and exited the tent. The next morning, Lyn could swear her sleep had been one of the best she ever had. But that was tomorrow. The rest of the evening still remained.

Will looked at the others around the fire. "She's asleep." He said. They were all looking at him, which made him feel a little weird. Wouldn't they have done the same? Put someone to bed when they needed it? It's not like anything weird had happened.

"Who gets her share?" Sain asked, looking at the extra plate. Will nearly fell over. That was what they were worried about.

"Uh… cut it into pieces and split it between the six of us?" He suggested. They all looked at each other, then shrugged and did so without complaint.

Only five minutes later, Will sat down next to Florina. In return for Sain's life story, Dorcas was now regaling the group with a grandly exaggerated tale of the last battle, where the dashing husband of the fairest maiden Natalie swooped in from parts unknown, saving lone archer Wil from a fate worse than death at the hands of some saucy female bandits. It was quite an enjoyable tale, but Will had other things to take care of.

"Still mad?" Will asked. He wasn't close enough to scare her off, but close enough that she could hear him.

"Well… yes. I mean… you did all that just because…" She was cut off by Will laughing. "What's so funny?"

"Come on… even if Lyn asked me to, I could have not done it. But I chose to anyway." He said, and Florina couldn't find a response. "Your lance work has already improved tremendously, and your fear of men has definitely gotten better. I mean… you took care of my injury, right?" He said, waving the bandaged hand.

She nodded, looking at the fire instead of at him. She could tell he was looking right at her though. "It's just… I don't want to be taken care of." She said. "I want to be able to take care of others."

"You're a good person." He said, and looked at the fire as she looked at him. "You want to do something it took me years to do. I always cared for myself. Even when… well, nobody is proud of their worst moments."

"You mean you…" She said, trailing off. A part of her desperately wanted to know what he would've said. However, some other part of her told her it wasn't the time to push her luck. He was the first man she was even somewhat close to, it made little sense to push him away by asking silly questions.

"Of course. I was a selfish bastard like so many people are. I didn't care who got hurt if I stayed alive. That changed though… I suppose I have you all to thank for that." She still looked puzzled when he looked back at her. "If Lyn hadn't found me, I wouldn't have gotten another chance in life. I owe her for that."

Florina nodded, looking at the fire quietly. "So… still want to train with me? I can't guarantee it'll be easy, but to help yourself and others, you'll probably need it. Sorry to sound rude or…" Will began, trying to find out where he stood in their conversation.

She shook her head, cutting him off. Her lavender hair swayed slightly as she did so. "It's okay… I know I need it. I think I will train a bit more." She got up, and smiled.

Will just gave her a half shrug, like it didn't matter either way, and joined in the conversation with the others, who were now talking about how they had come to be there. Florina entered her tent to see Lyn sleeping, a smile playing across her face. _He's a very strange guy… I guess I understand a little of what Lyn sees in him though. Only a little bit._

In the morning, Florina also said she couldn't remember the last time she had slept that peacefully. The boys all complained that they knew THEY had slept far better in a bed.

* * *

Matthew was weaving his way through the trees, making his way to Araphen. He'd been told that Lady Lyndis and her band were headed to Caelin, which would mean they would probably pass through there. That's where he'd 'offer' his services.

"Of course, it'll take me forever to get there at the rate I'm going…" Said Matthew, noticing he hadn't even crossed Ostia's border yet. He'd make it though. He always did. He just had a habit of taking his time and showing up at the last minute. It paid huge dividends in his line of work.

* * *

Rath sighed. It was a boring existence here. He missed his tribe, he missed the plains. He hated being locked up like this. Though he never told it to the Marquess's face. He was always polite to him. Though something always seemed wrong about that smile. Something always irked him about the man and the way he spoke.

* * *

The older man wiped his sweaty brow, looking up at the sun as he shielded his bald head. He had also noted the change in the atmosphere that had come over Caelin lately. Something had changed, and he'd have to find out soon.

"I have a feeling I won't be free to farm for much longer… The Crag of Caelin will have to move again…" He said, and then turned to his house. "Hopefully my map is correct… Don't want to get lost for another three months…"

* * *

The bandits were trying to organize but it was proving to be rather difficult. They couldn't round up any volunteers. No one wanted to fight those people after what had happened to Carjiga.

"We can't spare the women either. We go for the kill this time." Said one of the leaders, pounding his fist angrily on the table.

Suddenly, a man none of them knew stepped from the shadows. "Allow me to be of assistance." Without a word, he redirected their battle plan with strange magic, the arrows turning and twisting into a much better plan then any of their leaders had concocted. They looked at him in surprise.

"Their tactician anticipates such moves as the ones you have used. The same moves won't work twice. Allow someone who knows his strategy style to assist you." The man said with an elegant bow.

They looked at him. This Nut was willing to take them on, so by all means they'd let him. "Alright, but if you make any wrong moves, you're dead, got it?" The leader said, and the man shrugged. "What's your name, anyway?" He asked as the band set out for their target.

"I am Mark." He said, smiling in reply. That same creepy smile didn't have the same effect on the bandits as it did on the soldiers.

"You got quite the look there." He said gruffly, and they continued on their way.


	12. Beyond the Borders

**Author's Note**: School has started, so expect updates to be a little slow. I'll try to pump out a new edited chapter a week, but I can't promise that with the amount of work I have. However, I promise I plan to write this and the sequel in their entirety this time, and unless I specifically say otherwise, know that the next chapter is coming. Also, this chapter was a long one. With a ton of rewriting. I've made some much more major changes to the story here. So if you have read the previous story, here's where things officially start to diverge.

* * *

Chapter 12: Beyond the Borders

How had he discovered that Maria was a spy? He felt like it was some grand tale in his head, but one that was remarkable simple once said out loud. She had walked up to him one evening, and told him.

"So… you aren't like us." He had said, scratching his head in confusion.

"Well duh, not everyone can be like you or Jaffar." She said, in that Bernese dialect he couldn't be sure was her true accent.

"I suppose not." He said, falling silent.

"But you seem different." She said, giving a little laugh.

"I do, do I? And why do you think that?" He asked.

"Because your eyes look sad." She said, looking at him seriously for the first time since they had met.

"You expected elsewise?" He asked, genuinely put off by her question.

"Duh! Why stay if you're not happy?" She said with a smile.

"…" It was the first time he'd ever truly entertained the notion. "I have something to do." He said finally, though half of that particular statement was a lie.

"Really? And what's that?" She pried, leaning closer in a conspiratorial manner.

From some reason, he ended up telling her his plan. He had figured if escape was something he was going to try no matter what, he should also take that chance to release Nils and Ninian from their captivity. If Nergal had three escapees to deal with rather than one, it was likely that at least those two could escape the web.

"Oh. Well then, I'll help you!" She said, smiling and putting her hands behind her head.

"You're insane." He said, with the smallest of snorts.

"Maybe. But I'm also a spy." She said, before turning to leave. It took a moment for the information to sink in, and a full minute before he realized she hadn't been joking when she said it. That was when their uneasy alliance had been formed, to save themselves from the tangled webs of Nergal's net.

* * *

Will dodged Lyn's strike for the third time. It had now been three days since their last battle against the Ganelon bandits. Will's hand was mostly healed, but to use his sword for an extended period of time would no doubt open the wound once more. The weapon that had struck him may have caught a nerve, as he couldn't feel himself gripping the weapon as well as before. He couldn't be sure that it wasn't just the injury combined with trying to take it easy though, so he dismissed it.

"So, is it any better?" Lyn asked, striking again. This time she used the diagonal swing Will had emphasized to her before.

"Meh. It'll recover in time. I'm more worried about screwing up and getting another injury." Will replied while attempting to dodge. He failed, the practice weapon striking his leg as he unsuccessfully dove off to the side.

"I win." Lyn said with a smirk.

"Naturally." Will said. "It wouldn't do for the leader to lose to her tactician, now would it?"

"Oh come on. You're not telling me you went easy." She said, doing a very good fake pout.

"No way. I lost fair and square." He said with a laugh. The two decided that was enough for the day, and walked back to camp while chatting about the march ahead.

* * *

**After easing some tensions in camp after the battle, we set out once again to Caelin. To get across the border would finally put us in Lycia, which I believe would prevent the Ganelon Bandits from pursuing us further. For a moment, I think I can see Lyn imagining the face of the grandfather she's never seen…**

"Not that it'll last." Will muttered, closing the notebook again. Peace never seemed to last long. It was a small hope that they'd get any further without trouble. He wouldn't say it, though he was sure everyone else was thinking it as well.

"The border is almost upon us." Kent said, riding at the front with Sain. Florina was overhead surveying the oncoming terrain for them, and Will walked with Dorcas, Lyn, and Wil.

"We'll be safe from bandits once we cross the border into Lycia, right?" Lyn asked. It was obvious she was tired of Ganelon as much as the others were. She looked in particular at Will, who guessed she had been peeking over his shoulder as he wrote. Writing while walking was one of his skills he took pride in.

Will nodded slowly. "It's not impossible that they would follow us, but I doubt they want to risk being seen as a threat by the Lycian League."

Sain was obviously enjoying being close to home, as he spread his arms wide. "Lycia at last! It's been far too long! By tomorrow we can dine on Lycia's finest food! And the mistress of the inn at the crossing is said to be a real beauty!"

_You say that about most women._ Will, Kent, Dorcas, Wil, Lyn, and Florina thought at the exact same time. Though to be fair every women he had said that about was quite good looking. Not that any of the men would acknowledge him for it.

"Nothing better to restore a man's souls than food and love! A fine evening we'll have, eh Kent?" He said, not noticing the complete deadpan look Kent gave him in return.

"If your behavior is as deplorable as ever, we'd be better off passing by the inn completely." Kent replied, which made Sain looked horrified.

"We aren't here for 'sightseeing,' my friend. I should also note that if we don't want to be tracked, it's better to stick to the wilderness." Will said.

"But… but… that's not fair!" Sain said, obviously wishing he hadn't said anything.

"The inn will be fine." Lyn said, simply. The others looked at her in surprise. Being used to the outdoors as she was they thought she would prefer the wilderness to the wildness of a tavern. Even Will was surprised, though he shrugged and gave in without another word.

"By your command." Kent said, bowing ever so slightly in Lyn's direction.

"You are truly an angel from on high my lady!" Sain called, raising his arms to the heavens.

Lyn couldn't help but blush slightly. "It's nothing. Just forget it." She said. Florina touched down, apparently needing to give Huey a rest from scouting duty. She must have heard the whole conversation from where she was though.

"It'll be nice to have a bed to rest in, won't it?" She said with a small smile.

Wil stretched. "I might actually have a good night's sleep for once." He said.

"What, you haven't lately?" Will said, jokingly.

"Nope, how could I? Sleeping on the ground is normal, but the watch schedules always kill me. Now a bed with a good meal and no guard duty? That's luxurious." He said, joking back. Everyone laughed together as they continued on their way, looking forward to the promise of a good nights sleep.

"Damn." Will said after a time, and everyone looked at him. He was looking forward on the path ahead.

Lyn must have seen it too. "They just don't give up."

Everyone's weapons were drawn in a flurry of movement. Three men were approaching them quickly, weapons held in each of their hands. They were obviously Ganelon, though how they could tell none of them were entirely sure.

"Here, I've found them!" One of them said.

Wil sighed. "Still after us, are you? Can't you just give up?" He asked, which seemed to piss them off more than necessary.

"You won't get away so easily!" Said the second man. "Ganelon won't let you! We'd be thought of as softies if we did!"

Lyn stepped forward, the Mani Katti at her side. "We care not for your reputation. Get in our way, and you'll pay."

Will had been looking intently at the third man the whole time. He had a hood on, which hid his face from view. However, Will could swear that he had seen that hooded robe before.

"Bah, fine then." Said the first. "Let's get them lads! Wipe them all out! No holding back! Kill all of them!" As he shouted, an entire battalion of bandits emerged from their hiding spots. This was vastly different from before. The bandits were in twos and threes, and had surrounded their much smaller group entirely with their numbers.

What was far worse than that, at least for Will, was that this strategy was very familiar to him. He had seen it used several times before during the time he wanted nothing better than to forget. As he was trying to gather his thoughts, he noticed the two bandits and the man in the hood were retreating. "Hey, wait!" He shouted, to no avail. The hooded man placed one finger to his hood (Which would have been his lips if it had not been for the hood which obscured his features) and didn't say a word.

Everyone was now looking at him. _We need a strategy, not useless thoughts and a tactician who can't make tactics because he's distracted._ "Damn it." He said, smacking himself once in the arm for good measure.

"Will, are you…" Lyn began, but Will cut her off curtly.

"Fine, Lyn. Give me one second here." Will said, placing a finger to his head in what both Wil and Sain had coined 'The Tactician Trance.' _Numbers greater than our own. All numbers seen are near areas where it would be easy to hide more reinforcements. Forests, broken down buildings. Lulling us into seeing false numbers. Conversely surrounded tactics won't aid us. Need to break the circle, get our own footholds. Mountains best chance, least likely to be fortified and held easily by bandits. Tactician on their side something to take into account. Don't let emotion rule, but kill him as soon as possible to break enemy formation. Without planner plan falls apart. _He opened his eyes, tapping his head with that same finger that had begun the thought process, and began to speak. "They may look like they're all out in the open, but I guarantee at least one other is hidden near each bandit you see, be extra careful when engaging them. Don't move in less than a pair, preferably threes. Most importantly we need to break their circle, and get to the mountains over there." He pointed them out to the others. "That area is likely the least fortified, as even bandits won't risk the rocky terrain. They could also break their weapons on a missed swing, rather than using them in the forests or plains where there are only trees and dirt."

"Don't we run the same risk of breaking our weapons?" Kent asked seriously, eyeing the mountains.

"It's a risk we'll have to take. I'll trust that to your skills, which I've seen firsthand. At worst we may lose a sword or an axe, but our lives are far more important in the long run." Will said. The group seemed to agree with him, and he smiled. "I'll make sure we get out of this, don't worry. Now, as for the groupings…"

* * *

Mark threw back his hood, pulling out his Aurora tome. A nostalgic smile began to light his face. "This will be fun, Will. I can't wait until you make it to me. I can't wait to… convince you." He said, laughing evilly.

"We'll kill all of them, and see our honor as bandits restored!" The leader shouted, and the men all cheered.

* * *

"WE'RE LOST! I'M SO PISSED!" The Pink haired cleric yelled, a purple haired mage trailing behind her.

"You told me you knew where you were going this time, Serra." He sighed, and she turned around indignantly.

"What's your point, Erk?" She asked with a huff.

"You are NOT the woman I agreed to escort." He growled, turning away.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She said dangerously, leaning towards Erk as she did so.

The threat didn't seem anywhere near enough to even faze the mage. "I was told that someone was needed to escort a frail Lycian Priestess to Ostia."

"That's me!" Serra said brightly, pointing to herself. Though she said it cheerily, she was still leering at Erk as she did so.

"You? Frail?" Erk asked in amazement. "Serra, you have no need of an escort. Even the most hardened criminal would flee in terror after five minutes in your company. Look, I'll return your fee." He even dug into his pockets for it. Then he remembered she had spent it on her new dress. He cursed his ill fortune and poor insight. "Will you just go to Ostia alone? Please?"

"NO! You're my escort Erk, MINE!" She said, grabbing him roughly by the collar. "You're so clean and tidy. A noblewoman like me can't be seen without a proper escort." She let him go, and he rubbed his shirt to get rid of the wrinkle she had made. "I mean, your personality is nothing special, but you're not bad to look at…"

"Me? I'm the one that should be saying that to you!" He cried. Then he added another statement under his breath. "I'm supposed to last until Ostia… I'll never make it at this rate…"

"What are you mumbling about, Erk? You're so gloomy!" He glared at her, but she didn't notice or care to respond to it. "HEY! Something's going on over there!" She cried suddenly, before running off.

"And the first chance she has to get into trouble, she takes. I'm not even getting paid for this, am I… not that any amount would make up for this." He sighed. Unfortunately, his better nature declared that he follow her anyway.

* * *

That Tactician had pulled his group into a good formation. They had never even expected them to survive the mountains, let alone the fortress where Carjiga had attacked them. And now here they were, trying desperately to kill these people right on the border of the Lycian League. It was far too risky for his taste, but what could he do? Boss seemed to have a lot of faith in this stranger, so he'd just have to hope the boss knew what he was doing.

Then he noticed a girl with striking Pink hair standing near him. He also noticed a Mage tagging along behind her, his hood pulled over his face in shame.

"A fight! Hey Erky, look! There are girls fighting those bandits!" Serra yelled, very loudly. It seemed even the group of fighters they were trying to kill had heard the pink haired girl, looking in their direction in surprise. Come to think of it, their group had been slowly migrating towards him…

"Idiot, lower your voice." Erk whispered, but it was too late.

"You're in league with those devils?" The bandit cried angrily, brandishing his bow.

"This is so wrong…" Erk moaned.

"I'll kill you in one stroke!" The bandit yelled, knocking an arrow.

"How? You're an archer." Erk said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"I'll cut you in half!" The bandit shouted, incensed.

"HOW?" Erk shouted his question back at the archer.

"Just die!" He said, firing the arrow.

"EEK! ERK! HELP ME!" Serra screamed. Erk would have gone deaf if not for the saving grace of his own chanting, which filled his ears as he cast his spell. His first fireball flew, burning the arrow to a crisp.

"Not enough." Erk said through gritted teeth, as a second arrow flew their way. "Serra, behind me!" He said, pushing her behind him. "You there! See if you can match me!" He called in challenge. The arrow hit him in the leg, but he didn't allow it to slow him down. His hands moved quickly as he recited the tome, another ball of fire forming in his hand. He threw it with a similar magical chant, and the fireball flew hard and fast before striking the man square in the chest. In approximately a second his body fell to the ground as a charred corpse.

"Will? Should we…" Lyn began, and Will nodded. He didn't need to hear that scream a second time. Wil was still trying to pop his ears so he could hear again. It took them mere moments to arrive, having finally broken through and with the purple haired mage having charred their only archer on the post.

"Excuse me…" Lyn began, and both the Cleric and the Mage looked at her. "Why are you fighting these bandits?"

Erk decided it was best to answer before Serra could. "It just happened."

Serra, to Erk's horror, interjected. "Those Bastards thought that we were with you! You got us into trouble! Now how are you going to get us out of it?!"

Will raised an eyebrow in curiosity and slight bewilderment. It was _her_ fault for getting herself attacked, not theirs. Bandits likely would've attacked her anyway. It had absolutely nothing to do with them. Yet here she was blaming them for her mistake. Erk seemed to be of the same mindset.

"Next time don't meddle, Serra. Our apologies. Trouble yourselves with us no further." Will could respect the mage's words, but Lyn seemed to decide against it.

"If you have to fight, why not join us? It will end things much faster that way." She asked, extending a hand in friendship. Will knew she had a point, but he had no battle plan that involved these two in mind. With their current predicament he wasn't sure if he could rebuild the plan and get what he wanted at the same time.

"Good idea!" Serra said, clasping Lyn's hand happily. "Erk, go and help these ladies!"

Will looked at himself. He didn't look like a girl, did he? Suddenly he wondered. It seemed people were failing to notice his presence at first meetings.

"But… I… Fine!" Erk yelled in frustration. He walked over to Will, and stuck out his hand. Will shook it. "You aren't a girl, don't worry. She's just… Serra." He said, and Will smiled.

"I'm Lyn, and this is Will." Lyn said, introducing them. The others had gone off in their assigned groups to fight while Will and Lyn handled the two strangers.

"I'm Serra. And this gloomy guy is my escort, Erk. Now be a good boy and go fight, Erk." She said, waving him off.

Erk just sighed, for what Will guessed was at least the fifth time in the last hour. Will gave him a small pat on the back.

He didn't get a chance to rework his strategy yet. Mark was there. He needed to get to him. But of course, it was never easy. "You're Will, right?" Said Serra, looking at him critically. Will nodded. "Nice to meet you." Apparently, he passed her standard of 'this guy is passable in looks.' "This contrary mage here…" She jerked her thumb at Erk, "is my escort. He's been hurt though." Will nodded again.

"I was thinking of healing him, free of charge." At this, Will glared at her. How could she even think of charging people? Wasn't she a cleric? Sworn to help the people? Even if he wasn't the shining example of humanity, he was beginning to feel exceedingly nice. "I know, I'm generous to a fault." Then she noticed his glare. "What are you looking at me like that for? Praise my generosity!"

Will glanced at the mage. No wonder he looked so worn out. "Just heal the guy before he keels over." Will said, and stalked off. Serra did as told, despite her grumbling of all work and no pay.

* * *

Kent was doing well. He and Sain once again were paired as they fought the front lines, backed up by Dorcas and Wil. The bandits, despite their solid tactics, seemed severely lacking in skill compared to their predecessors. Florina, Lyn, Will, and the two new recruits were taking the other path, through the mountains and trees.

"Bandits have no chance against us!" Sain yelled, plunging forward with Dorcas behind him. His lance was blocked, only for Dorcas' hand axe to fly out and strike the man dead. He was surprised at how well they worked together. It seemed Dorcas had worked as a mercenary but alongside knights before.

"Will took special notice of the man in the hood." Kent said conspiratorial to Wil as he shot down a bandit from Kent's horse.

Wil nodded. "I have a feeling we're going to be needed there." He grabbed onto the saddle as Kent reared the horse, kicking another bandit with his horse's powerful back legs. Kent then dismounted briefly to deliver the finishing blow.

"We must follow as soon as we can then." He said, remounting and spurring the horse forward once more. Sain and Dorcas had pulled just a tad ahead, but now they would catch up.

* * *

"Look, I don't know how I got into this mess," Erk explained, as they made their way through the forest. "But I'll show them the true power of magic!" He recited a tome with the hand signs, and blasted another bandit with flames, killing him instantly.

Lyn glanced at Will, who had without thought placed a hand on the Gespenst tome that rested inside his cloak. He hadn't yet attempted to use it, as he had mentioned that being at less than full capacity could cause the magic to backfire on him. However, as she looked at him she couldn't help but feel like his usual rationality had left for parts unknown.

They were all getting closer to where they needed to go. It seemed the plan was working perfectly.

* * *

"Damn!" Kent said, wheeling his horse around. A large wave of bandits was coming from behind. Sain and Wil turned as well to face the oncoming threat. "Dorcas, go on ahead and warn the others." Kent said, and Dorcas nodded before running after the second team.

Kent's sword clashed with a bandit's axe, an exchange which he won handily by removing the bandit's arm. He quickly grabbed the axe dropped by the bandit, gritting his teeth at the weight. From his mount, he threw the axe with all his might into a second bandit, while Wil's arrow killed the first who had started fleeing with his bleeding stump. Sain's lance was a flurry of movement, taking on and defeating three bandit swordsmen in the span of a minute.

Dorcas rushed ahead cutting down a Brigand that got in his way, but avoiding the rest of their forces. Unfortunately, a pack of five now barred his path forward. "Damn." He muttered, and met the first three with a clean cut from his axe.

* * *

Will noticed the wave crashing against their back flank, and the one flanking them. They had come out of the forest strait into an ambush right in front of them. Worst of all, Dorcas was fighting the flanking group all alone, which was a recipe for death. He gritted his teeth. He wanted nothing more than to push forward, and yet…

"Florina! You and me, this way!" He drew his sword, pointing to Dorcas' position. She nodded before spurring Huey into the air.

Both Lyn and Florina spared a glance at Will's injured hand. For the moment, it seemed to be holding up fine. But they could tell he was pushing himself. To be fair this situation wasn't any help to stress levels.

"Lyn take Serra and Erk, break through their front and beat the leader!" He called back as he ran towards Dorcas. Lyn nodded as Erk and Serra took up positions right behind her.

Will cut through the first bandit, an axe user who didn't even see the attack coming. Florina dive bombed a second as he turned in surprise to see his fallen comrade. "You've gotten better!" He shouted, wincing slightly as his hand throbbed angrily. _Still not enough time, huh…_

"I've had some good training." Came her reply, and both smiled with the smallest of blushes. The three enemies remaining began to panic. Will, Florina, and Dorcas used that to their advantage and took one out each with a simultaneous assault. However, at that moment a new wave emerged from the trees, surrounding the three on all sides. Florina dared not take to the air, as she spotted an archer in the back aiming an arrow towards the sky.

* * *

Lyn was slashing through the ambush with her Mani Katti, Erk with his Fire spell, and Serra healed them both whenever they got so much as a scratch. Despite her bad attitude, her healing spells were quite powerful and extremely useful. Lyn made a mental note to have her treat Will later so his hand would be fully healed. The enemies finally broke, the few remaining fleeing while shouting about how they 'never should have trusted that man' and that 'boss must've gone out of his mind.'

* * *

Kent felled another enemy. "That's seven!" He yelled, knowing kill counts sometimes were used as morale boosters. They certainly needed it as their fatigue began to take hold.

Wil planted an arrow into another. "Damn. I'm behind. Five for me!"

Sain was still twirling his lance in what seemed to be a never ending arch. "Ten!" He yelled, as he felled another.

"Double digits! Truly an impressive showing!" Kent called, as he and Wil engaged another foe. They'd have to up their game to catch him now.

* * *

The three remained surrounded, though none of the bandits attacked or even inched in. Will found this especially aggravating because he couldn't use his favorite counter and break strategy that he used when surrounded like this. Of course, it was likely precisely that strategy that bastard was trying to avoid. "Nice weapons you got there. Pity they don't seem to work." He called. He knew the provocation was a cheap one, but he had hoped even one bandit would take the bait. None of them moved.

After another minute at this stalemate they parted ever so slowly. A man strode into the circle, his shock white hair unkempt despite his clean shaven face. Will's face fell when he saw the man, his piercing white eyes strangely eerie in their own way, though not as creepy as the forced smile on his lips. "Good afternoon." He said amicably, his smile extending.

"MARK!" Will suddenly yelled, charging without warning. Weapons were suddenly drawn into action the moment he moved. Will, Dorcas, and Florina were defending and countering blows that came from all sides. Will was trying desperately to cut his way to the man as the circle closed him further off from him, and Dorcas and Florina merely tried to keep up with him as the dark power flared, slicing down the enemies in his path. Florina struck out against the swordsmen, while Dorcas took out the axmen with his axe. He even managed to get a lucky throw with his hand axe that took out the archer, allowing Florina to once more take to the sky.

* * *

Kent finally killed what felt like his hundredth brigade. "Eleven!" He called.

Wil launched yet another arrow. "Eight! And I'm out of arrows!" He called.

Sain finished off the last one with one final flourish of his lance. "Fourteen!" He said, and smiled in triumph. The sweat pouring down his face was wiped away quickly as the three regrouped.

"Alright, here's what we'll do." Kent said. "Sain, you and Wil gather arrows for him from the corpses. Any that are still usable we take. I'll go on ahead and join the others. I have a bad feeling about this fight." They nodded, and Kent rode off to the others. He was the least winded of the three, and unlike Wil his weapon was still usable, so the other two had no objections to Kent going.

* * *

Lyn slashed through another bandit as Erk blasted the one right behind it. This was getting ridiculous. She was beginning to feel like these bandits were just fodder and not meant to hurt her at all. "Not very impressive." She said.

"You're not… who we're after…" The bandit with the sword through his gut said with a smirk as he died.

"Father Sky…" She muttered in instant realization, turning to block another bandit's axe. "Will!"

Erk hit the bandit with a well-placed fireball, freeing up Lyn as a rather scarred and dangerous looking Bandit approached them. "Lyn…" He said, nodding his head towards the incoming obstacle.

Lyn gritted her teeth for a moment, wanted to rush to her friend's aid. She knew he needed her help now, but she also remembered what he had told her before they started the fight. _Lyn, it's up to you to take out their leader. Any force without their leader will inevitably fall apart. If we can take out the tactician they're making use of, we should. But I'm not going to count on it. It's up to you, got it?_

Lyn's sword flashed as she took a ready position, Facing down the leader, who was large enough to tower over her. "Erk, you hold the rest of them off. Serra, please keep him healed."

Erk nodded, turning to the two bandits left for him. They looked scared as the pages of his book began to flutter once more, and his incantations began. Serra thankfully stayed behind him, and even more mercifully remained silent.

* * *

"Face me!" Kent cried, his sword cutting down a bandit that comprised the circle that surrounded his companions. Two more bandits turned to face him, one brandishing an axe while the other held a sword. His breathing hadn't gotten any easier, and he had rode full gallop until he arrived. Fatigue was really beginning to settle in now.

Just as he was wondering how he would pull off his rescue, another sword appeared beside him. "Heya Kenty!" Sain said, smiling.

Kent shook his head, but accepted the help gratefully all the same. It appeared Wil had found a couple of quivers that were full of arrows, and he had no problems firing off three quick shots into the crowd, managing to fell two more bandits. "Fourteen!" He yelled in triumph.

* * *

Will finally broke through. It had taken them four minutes of straight fighting, in which Will had fought a particularly strange bandit who used daggers, one of which had managed to cut his sword arm above the elbow. Dorcas and Florina were right behind him, but they turned to face the numerous bandits at their back, letting Will approach the white haired man. Will's sword shone with blood, and a trickle of it was running down his arm due to the injury. He sheathed his sword silently, instead pulling out his dark tome and opening it.

"Oh my…" Mark said, looking at him smiling. "Did you get yourself poisoned? I must offer you my assistance then…" He chuckled, indicating Will's sword hand. No wonder the wound had started to burn the moment it was inflicted. The blades that dagger bandit used had been coated in poison. Likely specially provided by Mark himself.

"O twisted door of distortion, open your gaping maw." Will chanted, paying the man no heed.

"Ah… you mustn't be so mean…" Mark said, tutting slightly as he opened his tome as well, letting its pages flutter in the breeze. "You know dark magic doesn't work well against the magic of light."

"Roar O Hellion that chills my soul!" Will continued, the throbbing in his arm growing worse by the second. This was either going to backfire spectacularly, or take off the enemy's head.

"The blade bathed in light plunges down from the heavens. Aurora." Mark said with a flick of his hand. Instantly a beam of light shot down from the sky, piercing Will's already injured hand. He let out a yell of pain as he collapsed to the ground, the energy created from his spell evaporating into the air as if it had never been there. The tome likewise fell to the ground, useless. "You see? This is what happens to you when you listen to witches. You become tainted with their stench." He shrugged, looking at the sprawled out tactician before him.

"Then why don't you just kill me." Will spat, looking up at Mark with as much hatred as he could muster.

"But that's no fun… I can't know where the children are if you aren't alive… And I can't have you for myself. After all, you haven't even begun to pay for what you've done." Mark said, putting a finger to his chin thoughtfully

Dorcas tried not to wretch as he slammed his axe handle into another bandit's stomach, before forcefully grabbing the man's arm and breaking it over his knee. Florina gave a small 'meep' sound at Mark's strange words. He didn't sound in his right mind. "You expect me to go back and murder for you? You know I never wanted that life. You even knew I would leave it behind the first chance I got. Are you so surprised I took the chance when it finally appeared?" Will asked, almost laughing at Mark. "And you claim to know me."

"Oh I do know you, Angel of Despair. I know how much despair grips your soul. The soul that is as black as night, and no matter what you do will never be wiped clean. Are you hoping I will put you out of the misery of your existence? Sorry, I'm not that generous." Mark said, as his tome fluttered once more.

"Stop!" Dorcas yelled, but it was too late. Another beam of light shot down from the sky towards Will's prone form.

* * *

Lyn wasn't a match for the man in power, but was still managing to push him back. Her speed was giving her an overwhelming advantage, and she was quickly realizing that this leader wasn't much of one at all. He hadn't issued a single order the entire fight to his other men, as they battled Erk so closely behind her.

Erk had easily beaten one man when he fired a point blank fire spell, but he was finding it hard to finish the last one as his throat was getting dry and he still had to dodge attacks while trying to chant, all while ensuring his wording was just right. Suddenly a leg from underneath a dress shot out, and the bandit tripped, a look of utter confusion on his face. For once in his life, Erk was momentarily glad to see the pink haired cleric as he chanted the finishing part of his spell, firing it into the man's prone backside.

Lyn grappled with the man once more, but this time she saw her opportunity. Slipping under his chop, she struck out precisely at the one target she remembered speaking about with Will. The man's axe hand fell to the ground along with his axe, and his scream of horror was quickly silenced as she stabbed the sword through his throat. She withdrew it, wiping her blade quickly on the grass to clean in of blood as the man's corpse fell to the ground. She didn't have time for a break though. "This way!" She called, turning and sprinting back to the mob of bandits where Will had disappeared.

* * *

Kent, Sain, and Wil had blown away one front, and advanced to the next, when Lyn, Erk, and Serra joined them. "Dorcas, Florina, and Will are up there, fighting that man!" Kent called, felling another bandit. "Twenty-one!" He called.

Wil shot another with a well-placed arrow that hit the back of his neck, seemingly with ease. "Nineteen!" He called, sad he was still behind.

Sain felled two, one with the sword, and another with the lance. "Twenty-five!" He called, and Lyn smiled slightly. "A competition?" She asked. "You should've told me."

Kent shrugged. "We didn't feel like losing, my lady." This managed to make Lyn laugh. Erk simply blew away another without a word.

Serra wouldn't have it that way though. "Well, Erky has gotten ten! Take that!" She said, and everyone looked at Erk. He shook his head and sighed. Serra not only had counted for him, but failed to take into account that his number was far less.

* * *

"AGH!" Will shouted in pain, as the second beam of light pierced his uninjured hand.

"This is what happens when you associate yourself with trash. Try as you might, the stench never seems to go away." Mark said, before delivering a swift kick to Will's prone form, which sent him tumbling backwards down the small hill.

"Will!" Florina yelled, jumping off her Pegasus. Huey promptly kicked a bandit with her hind legs, sending the man sprawling to the ground, before Dorcas finished him off. Florina just barely managed to dash over to Will's tumbling form, throwing her smaller frame against the larger man's body. With a heroic effort, she brought him to a stop. He was still directing his venomous gaze at Mark, but he was clearly in too much pain to move, let alone fight.

Dorcas smiled in relief as he spotted familiar faces breaking through the final line of bandits. "Help has arrived." He said. Florina was especially glad to see Lyn, though her momentary relief was only overcome by more worries as she attempted to apply a vulnerary to Will's wounds.

"Oh dear… I thought they were smarter and better than this… And there were over one hundred of them too." Mark said, glancing over the strewn battlefield. "A bloodbath for the history books… seems you haven't changed much after all, my Angel of Despair. And you with but a measly force of nine warriors." He said, smiling. Will scowled, and attempted to get to his feet once more. Florina barely managed to restrain him as she desperately clung to his body. "At least you find worthwhile trash. I'll see you again… in Caelin, of course." He said with a smile that chilled to the bone, before walking down the other side of the hill.

"COME BACK HERE!" Will roared, struggling against Dorcas, who had taken over for Florina. But Dorcas was far stronger than he, and Will couldn't break free.

"LET GO OF ME! I CAN KILL HIM! HE NEEDS TO DIE! IF HE DOESN'T, THEN WE… Then I…" He was still struggling when the last of the bandits surrendered, and Kent took over restraining him from a tired Dorcas.

"It's too late, my friend." Kent said, softly into Will's ear. "He's gone."

Will still struggled for a moment, and then collapsed into his arms. "Dammit…" He said, very quiet, though everyone still heard him. Then he fainted.

Florina gasped. "He's bleeding all over!" Serra rushed forward, and healed his wounds. Of course, by now his hand was sufficiently useless, and even Serra's healing powers had a limit. Mainly that the blood lost couldn't be replaced immediately.

"He's been poisoned by a blade." Serra said without her usual exuberance. "It's the discoloration around his wound that gives it away. I'll see what I can do, but my staff is for healing injuries, not detoxification." She sighed before getting to work.

"Will it kill him?" Wil asked, curiously.

"Without an antidote, yes. I bet that guy Will was fighting has one though." She said, jabbing a finger to where Mark had disappeared. "It'll take a while, though. You don't need to worry about his immediate health. In fact, I'm pretty sure that guy won't _let_ Will die until he reaches him." Serra said, is a manner that was quite clear and calculating. She treated him in silence, and when the treatment was done, she gave a small smile before leading Erk away.

* * *

Florina refused to move from his side, and Kent decided to stay as well to tend to him. Wil went off on another arrow hunt, hoping for another big hull. He had already used one quiver, so he was hoping to find at least one more backup bundle he could keep for battle. That left Lyn, Sain, and Dorcas to see off Erk and Serra.

"You're all so strong! I was quite surprised." Serra said with her usual demeanor, smiling widely as she clasped Lyn's hand.

"Your staff was most helpful though. Healing powers amaze me." Lyn said. "If not for you, Will's injury would be far more severe. I really can't thank you enough."

Serra gave a cocky grin. "Only those in the service of good can wield it!"

"Nevertheless." Dorcas said, coughing lightly. "It was a great help to us."

"It's time for us to go then." Lyn said. "Thank you again for your help. Farewell." She and Dorcas turned and left, but Sain remained behind. His eyes laid upon Serra, with a most curious glint about them.

"Let's be on our way, Erk." Serra said, turning. Erk sighed. It was going to be a long trip.

"Ah… what is this? Another wildflower? Perhaps a butterfly? An absolutely delectable creature!" Sain suddenly declared, and Serra turned back to him.

"Oh, are you one of Lady Lyn's companions?" She asked. Erk had a bad feeling about letting this continue.

"I am Sain!" He introduced himself with an elegant bow.

"I am Serra, of house Ostia." She said, curtsying ever so slightly. Erk was getting an extremely bad feeling about this.

"What a lyrical name!" Sain seemed to sing, much to Serra's enjoyment. "I am in service to Castle Caelin!"

"You mean to tell me…" Serra began thoughtfully, and Erk really didn't like the tone she was using. "That Lady Lyn is part of the Marquess's family?"

"Why yes! She is the granddaughter of our lord!" Sain said, and an evil glint that Erk definitely didn't like entered Serra's eyes.

"Serra… what deviousness are you plotting?" He muttered to her under her breath.

"Having a person of power in your debt is never a bad thing," she whispered happily back, and Erk sighed.

"You can't be serious…" but it was too late. Serra had pranced over to Sain.

"Oh Sain! Mightn't we join the Lady's company? She seems like such a nice person, and I'd love to help her in any way I can…" She said, twirling circles on his armor with her finger.

"Of course!" He cried, though taken aback at her… boldness. "We couldn't be happier! I remember Will mentioning that our fighting power was in need of improvement…"

"Are you being hunted?" She asked, leaning into him now. Sain backed up slightly.

"A typical inheritance dispute is all. Assassins everywhere…" He said.

"Oh?" She said, advancing again. He was definitely not used to this. It was a strange change from women's usual behavior. "Then my staff and Erk's magic should be most helpful!"

Erk was jerked out of his plans of leaving by that. "What? I… err… sounds dangerous." He said, and they raised their eyebrows. He looked away.

"That would be extremely helpful!" Sain said, turning away from Serra. "Your staff and Erk's magic would make excellent additions to our cause! Please wait; I'll go speak with the others!" He said, and hurried away.

"Unbelievable…" Erk muttered. His life was over.

"This is perfect, Erk!" Serra squealed, coming back over to him. Not too picky, was she? "Our good deeds will earn us gratitude beyond imagining!" She said, and looped her arms around his neck.

He simply started walking, dragging her with him. "I think I'm going to be sick." He said, and she giggled.

* * *

Mark made his way back to Caelin with ease. He'd be back at the castle soon, with nary a scratch to show for it. Then he'd have to tell Lundgren what had happened. It wouldn't be good to have the man angry, after all. He'd likely have to present him with another rose, or something equally influential. Will would die, though. Soon. Just like the trash he so seemed to love.

"The poison won't leave… not without my antidote." He said, pulling out the small bottle of purple liquid. His laugh wasn't heard by anyone, and just as well it wasn't. They would've killed themselves in fear. "I'll have you begging to join me before the end, Will. And I'll be the one to take you back."

* * *

Nils was still pushing them hard, but they had found a good place to hide a few days earlier. Finally their pursuers had seemed to lose them, and they hadn't heard a peep for days now. They had gotten lucky. "How long do you think we can stay here?" Ninian asked. Nils shook his head.

"Not long." He whispered. "But I know a route for us." He smiled at the look on her face. "I heard a couple of them arguing about something… Will is still alive." And Ninian resisted the urge to clap her hands together in delight. "We'll set out in the morning. You get some sleep sister, I can keep watch." He said, and she nodded. She laid down in the small space they had, and felt her eyes flutter closed. At last they would be reunited.

* * *

The blonde man simply continued on his way, as the newest town hadn't had nary a piece to offer him or his services. "St. Elimine will guide my path, as it has always been." He said. As he said this, he could see a village appear just on the horizon. "I thank you." He said, putting his hands together in a moment of prayer. Then he set his footsteps in a beeline for the town, hoping this time there would be work for him to perform.


	13. Antidote

**Author's Note:** Wow this took a long time. I had to rewrite the entire chapter, and then my editing buddy took forever to get back to me on it. Sorry it took this long to come out, but I hope you all enjoy it nonetheless.

* * *

Chapter 13: Antidote

"Alright then, I'll tell you." Will said. Once again he had found himself in the strange girl's company. He had even introduced her to Nino. She always seemed to be around to talk to him. She was a strange girl that spy for Ostia. Perhaps that was why he told her his plan. He didn't want to just leave on his own, only to be tracked down and killed. No, he'd offer himself as a far more tempting bait to save another. At least, that's what he hoped would happen. He would free Ninian and Nils, and they would all three escape. Using his extensive knowledge of Valor, he had confidence that he could create a good escape plan, using the cover of darkness and several places only he knew about. When the Fang got close that was when he'd use himself as bait, if it came to that. In the meantime, he had to practice.

"…You've gotten better." Jaffar said simply, as he sheathed his dagger

"Think so?" Will asked, sheathing his sword after getting up from the floor. It wasn't like Jaffar to give idle flattery, but he sure didn't feel like he had gotten better.

"…Yes. You are trying harder to get stronger. That is always a good thing." He said, crossing his arms.

"Thanks Jaffar." Will said with the smallest of smiles, as the man walked away. Jaffar didn't respond, but Will hadn't been expecting one either. It was just the way Jaffar was.

He had gotten better with the sword, if only just. He wasn't dropping it at every turn, at least. He had also gotten a bit more used to using his dark tome, though he always felt a twinge of regret when he used it to end somebody's life. Thanks to Maria's ideas and tips, his plans moved forward at a better rate than even he had predicted. In retrospect it seemed likely she had one herself, being a spy for Ostia. How else would she get back and report her findings?

Of course, at this time Mark began acting more oddly as well. He became increasingly interested in Will, and would oftentimes insist on dragging him off when he was talking with Maria. They would have suspected he knew she was a spy, but if he had, why wouldn't he report her? He out of all of them seemed especially loyal to the fang.

It may have been became the Angel team had now become feared across all of Elibe. The warning posters usually focused on the three males, as Maria was still a recent addition that had kept herself hidden. Will was quite sure she had managed to avoid killing anyone during her time in The Fang. An extremely large reward had been made available to anyone who could provide information leading to the capture of them. Mark seemed to revel in the attention it brought him, as if it were praise from Lord Nergal himself.

* * *

Will continued to sleep. After a small amount of further treatment his breathing became much more eased, to which Lyn was exceedingly grateful. His sleep was only punctuated by groans or the occasional tossing and turning. Serra herself had mentioned some kind of poison, but without knowing the exact poison, not having found the dagger that struck him during the previous fight, they couldn't even attempt to make an antidote.

As of this moment Kent, Sain, and Wil were preparing dinner. They seemed to be doing that a lot lately. Erk was outside the tent reading a book in silence. He read so fast that Lyn was convinced he'd finish his current read by the end of the night.

Serra was inside the tent to tend to her charge, though she continued to talk a lot of the time in between treatments. Will's hand and arm had been healed completely now, and Serra claimed he'd be able to fight without issue for some time. Lyn had wanted to extract the poison before closing his elbow wound, but Serra recommended against it, saying it had already been too long and it was likely that all Lyn would do is poison herself as well.

"Why hasn't he woken up? You did say this poison was slow acting." Lyn asked angrily, cutting off Serra's tirade about how bandits had no consideration for who they were attacking. She fell silent with a contemplative look on her face, as if not sure of the answer herself. Then again, it seemed unlikely Serra had come across this poison, as otherwise she would've known the recipe for an antidote.

"Well… he just got beaten up by that M-Mark… and then he came tumbling down the hill. He was bleeding a lot t-too. I don't know why he was still w-willing to fight that man…" Florina said quietly, shuddering.

"Easy." Dorcas said, and everyone looked at him. "You heard him. He knows that man. Likely due to that little tidbit no one cared to mention?" Everyone looked at him in confusion, and Dorcas sighed. "That part about him being involved with the Black Fang."

"What are you talking about? What's the Black Fang?" Lyn asked, wondering why any of this related to Will and his current predicament.

"The proof is there." Dorcas said, nodding to Will's collarbone. His face had taken on a stony quality that was quite unlike him.

Without thinking, Serra pulled down Will's shirt to reveal the indicated area. "Ugh… What an ugly mark…" She said, but Dorcas's face darkened. Florina looked surprised as she saw the tattoo, but Lyn continued to be confused. Erk, who had entered to see what all the fuss was about, looked as he usually did.

"An Angel." Dorcas growled, itching to reach for his axe. He restrained himself on the count of three women being present. It seemed unsightly to attack an unconscious man while they were present. He also remembered that Will had been kind thus far, and his hand unclenched. Who was he to judge a man by his past? If not for Will and Lyndis, he would've died a bandit.

"No way… He's never acted like one. I can't believe it…" Florina said, placing her hands over her mouth in horror.

Lyn remained as confused as ever. Even Florina seemed to know of these Fang people, but she had never heard of them before in her life. "Who are these Black Fang?" Shen asked with increasing annoyance.

The tent was suddenly becoming very crowded as Kent, Sain, and Wil entered. For a moment they all stared at each other, Kent particularly gave each of them a hard look to indicate meaning. He then motioned outside, and everyone followed him to the campfire. He and Sain spoke quietly to each other for a moment, before turning to the rest.

* * *

"The Black Fang… I suppose you've all heard about them?" Sain asked, and everyone nodded. Lyn shook her head. She was beginning to feel like an outsider.

"Let me explain as best I can, milady." Kent said with a kind smile. "The Black Fang are a group of assassins. They were originally located in Bern, and were founded by a man named Brendan Reed. At first, they seemed like a noble group, who killed corrupt noblemen and helped the poor. However, a few years back Brendan took a new wife. Since then he seems to have stepped aside for a new leader, though how that is I have no idea. Unfortunately, much of the Fang is shrouded in mystery now. It's unlikely that one of Brendan's sons took over though. They were too respectful of his policies to change things like this. Even Bredan's fate is unknown, I'm sorry to say."

"But what does any of this have to do with Will?" Lyn asked.

"Will told us the first night we met him, though admittedly under the threat of my sword." Kent said, which was received with some gasps, and a couple of raised eyebrows. "He was a member of the Black Fang."

"You may have also noticed that strange skull and crossbones tattooed on his collarbone." Sain said, looking around the circle.

"An Angel." Dorcas said, though with his calm demeanor returned. "He's the Angel of Despair. Mark said so when they fought."

Florina couldn't help but pipe up. "But that makes no sense! If Will is the Angel of Despair, why fight his comrade? Mark is the Angel of Deceit, after all… if what I heard is true, I mean... I've only seen the marks on wanted posters, and one or two rough sketches, but I'm guessing that's what all that traitor talk was about?"

Dorcas spoke once more. "It seemed to be about him leaving The Fang. From the sounds of it he released some important prisoners and made his escape."

Wil nodded. "Believe it or not, I've heard a rumor about this." Everyone looked at him curiously. " You heard a lot when you travel. The Angel of Despair vanished from the Fang without a word, taking children with him. The Angel Squad itself was disbanded, and the Angel was hunted and supposedly killed. That part seems to have been mistaken though."

Dorcas sighed. "I know I am not the authority on right choices, but is it wise to trust him? Will he not simply bring more trouble than help to Lyndis?"

Kent shook his head. "Do not forget that Sain and I have known this for some time. We have asked him to lead us to Caelin and have placed our trust in him. He has not lead us wrong once."

"He told us he believed Mark was involved from minute one. He surmised that it was Mark that informed Lundgren of your location." Sain agreed.

Lyn kneaded her forehead as she attempted to process all this new information. "I… I don't know what to think."

Dorcas sighed again. "I don't know if I can trust a member of the Fang, but he was the one that asked me to help while he was injured. I suppose I'll trust him, but forgive my suspicion if I sleep with one eye open." Sain and Kent nodded. It was the response they had given to Will, and he had accepted it without a complaint. In fact he had expected it. Surely one more watchful eye made no difference.

"He's never done anything but help me. He's never tried to hurt me or direct me into danger. I'd like to trust him as well." Florina said, blushing slightly.

"We share the same tent. I reckon if he wanted me dead, I'd already be lying on the ground. Not breathing, either." Wil said, cheerfully. Everyone looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "That didn't really come out right."

"He doesn't seem like a bad guy. He only wants to see you through your journey safely." Erk said, suddenly appearing from inside the tent. He looked at Lyn with a soothing gaze. "He's awake now."

Lyn nodded, and stood up. She wanted to talk to him about all she had just heard. Florina also decided to go with her. Serra exited the tent as they were about to enter, her cheeks puffed out in frustration. "I tried to heal that ugly mark of his, but he laughed me off. He said that _my_ magic was in itself tainted. How rude!"

They couldn't help but chuckle as Serra stormed over to Erk, who was reading his book, and began to vent to the mage who refused to listen. Sain and Kent returned to cooking dinner, as they had paused about halfway through. Wil and Dorcas went to gather more firewood, with Dorcas's trusty hand axe and Wil's bow in the case they found some extra food to catch.

Florina and Lyn entered the tent, and Will looked up. He tried to smile, but seeing the looks on their faces, especially Lyn's, he couldn't manage it.

* * *

Before Will knew it, his plans had morphed to include her as well. It was obvious she'd be punished if they found her out. When he thought of that he found he couldn't just leave her there alone either. "I want no one to suffer for my sake." He had said one night, while the two conversed.

She laughed, and said that to include her in his plans; she got to include him in her plans. "And… what plans are those?" he had asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

"You and the kids come with me to Ostia!" She said, with that mysterious smile he had come to know over the months.

"Why would I do that?" He said, with a raised eyebrow. Putting himself in close contact with people that wanted him dead, be it Lords or Fang members, seemed like the least intelligent idea.

"Because, you should meet Lord Uther, and Lord Hector. I think they'd like you." She said, winking. "Oh, and you definitely have to meet Matthew!"

"Why?" He asked. He had heard very little about the lords she served, but she had told him one or two tales about her friend Matthew. He got the feeling the two were more than friends, but neither seemed willing to push forward towards being lovers.

"Use your brain, genius!" She said, flicking his forehead. "That way you'll be safe from retaliation. Also as a bonus you can help Ostia beat these guys to a pulp!"

So that was her true motive. To turn him into a new secret weapon for Ostia. At least she had been honest about it. "Fine. I'll do as you ask."

"Okay, now let's get something to drink!" She said cheerfully, clapping her hands together to bring the current conversation to an end.

"What?" Will asked, once again confounded by her sudden change in mood.

"Oh come on, you can't think if you're thirsty! Let's get something to drink!" She said, dragged Will out of the room, their arms linked. Will followed only somewhat reluctantly, a genuine smile beginning to play across his face. He hadn't known then, but Mark had seen them talking. To be honest, he wasn't sure what the trigger was, but Mark seeing them converse about their plans to escape must have been when things began to fall apart.

"That witch! Tainting Will with her words… she'll probably go for others next… I must stop this… and bring Will back to us! Without her… he'll come crawling back. There is no need for such petty emotions! No need for a thing like happiness in our world of blood! Family sticks together, after all!" His eyes burned with the fury of a man who lost his mind. What happened next was the part of these memories he hated most.

* * *

"What's up?" Will asked, raising a hand in greeting. Florina and Lyn were glad that he was at least awake again.

"You doing better?" Florina asked, as they sat themselves on the edge of his bed.

"You kidding? I just found out I've been poisoned from Serra. I'm pretty much certain Mark has the antidote. After hearing that, I can definitely say I've been better." He said with a sigh.

"I… I just meant…" She tried, blushing in embarrassment.

Will smiled. "I know what you meant. Other than that, I am feeling better. Guess I owe Serra a favor."

"They're going to travel with us to Caelin." Lyn said, giving a small explanation of Sain's recruitment effort.

"I had a feeling that might be the case, since they were both here when I woke up. Tell them I said thanks for that." Both of them nodded. "Erk's magic Seems to be much more usable than my own, which will be a huge asset. Serra's healing, while it costs some sanity points, is also great to have." Lyn and Florina giggled at the assessment. "You said Sain is the one that convinced them?"

"Well, more like he was hitting on Serra, and it sort of backfired on him." Lyn said, waving it off. "Serra's much more of an aggressive girl than he thought."

"Clever devil." Will mused to himself, realizing Sain had likely done it for him. "Guess I owe him a thank you too."

* * *

When they heard the sounds of laughter from the tent, the campfire breathed a sigh of relief. They had been slightly afraid Lyn would lose it since her most trusted companion had failed to tell her such an important detail of his life. "Seems like they're going to be okay." Dorcas said, with a soft smile.

"By the way…" Wil said, eyeing his comrades with a mischievous grin. "What was the final score?"

Serra spoke up for Erk before he could quiet her. "Erky got twelve!" He sighed. Once again Serra seemed to be missing the point.

Sain smiled widely. "Twenty-seven was my final count, I believe."

Kent shook his head as well. "I can't believe you beat me Sain. I only come in with twenty-four."

Wil smiled. "Well, at least I didn't get last! I got twenty!"

Dorcas shook his head. "You do realize that next time everyone will be counting now? Why couldn't you just let it go?" Wil shrugged with another playful smirk. Erk sighed, knowing Serra would count for him whether he wanted her to or not.

"Lady Lyndis will beat us all easily though." Sain said, crossing his arms in thought. "I doubt we could tell her to sit out for half of the battle to give us a handicap?"

"Yes, there's no way she would ever agree to that." Kent said, with a small sigh.

* * *

"So I suppose by now both of you know, right?" Will asked, pulling down his shirt to show the tattoo once more. Both Lyn and Florina nodded, not sure what else to do. "I knew it would come out in the end. I just planned to tell you myself when the time came." He said with a shrug.

"What time was that?" Lyn asked.

"When you were reunited with your grandfather. It would be much easier to hear, 'get out of my face,' once the job was done, rather than halfway through." They continued to look confused. "What, you aren't mad that I didn't tell you?"

Lyn shook her head. "Why should I be? You've helped us out so much."

Will sighed. "Thank god. I thought you'd want to kill me after what happened. I mean, I left the Fang right after it, but…" He looked up, saddened. "Those bandits killed your whole tribe. The Black Fang pulls their strings. I just…" Lyn stood.

"What?" She said, her voice dangerously low.

"I thought Kent and Sain told you?" Will asked, taken aback.

"The Taliver…" She said, her voice ringing with anger. "You're part of their group?"

"Gods no." He said, shaking his head vehemently. "They are Mark's puppets at best, and a resource for the Fang at least. But I was part of his team for a while, the Angel Squad. I wish I could've left before that operation, but I needed to deceive him for a little while longer. The plan had to succeed."

"What plan?" Lyn asked, her eyes on fire now. Will answered her, eyes closed. He had a feeling this confession was costing him more than he had originally hoped.

"My plan to save the two hostages Nergal had. I used the aftermath of the slaughter Mark brought upon the Lorca to put it into action. Because he was so wrapped up in his success, the plan was a success. I, Maria, Nils, and Ninian all got away…" He trailed off, opening his eyes as he felt Lyn's blade on his chest.

"You used my family and my tribe's deaths to save three measly people?!" She said, angrily.

"Lyn, stop!" Florina said, pulling Lyn back, which was surprising considering Lyn was so much stronger. Perhaps a part of Lyn was still keeping herself in check, until Will finished explaining himself.

"I already told you." Will said, looking away from Lyn and at the ground. "I was a selfish bastard like everyone else. I only cared for those near me. I didn't care about those that I didn't think I'd ever meet. I now know that I was very wrong to think such a thing."

It took some time, but eventually Lyn calmed down and sat once more at the foot of the bed, her sword placed on her knees. Florina sat down slightly in front of Lyn, as if to shield Will. She also continued to glance at Lyn in a slightly frightened manner. "Why do you say that?" Lyn finally asked, and her voice was level. Florina still was keeping a close eye on her sword, though.

"I met you." He said, the smallest of smiles playing across his face. "Someone that was supposed to be dead. I met Kent and Sain, who said they would trust me in spite of my past. I met Florina, who let me teach her tactics despite having no real experience with Pegasi. I met Wil, who's the best shot I've ever seen, and someone I'd love to call a true friend. I've even met Dorcas, who's an amazing person with the most caring heart I've ever seen." Florina blushed slightly when he mentioned her, and even Lyn felt a little uncomfortable listening to him dish out praise so freely. "And now I've met Serra the haughty Cleric and Erk the magic prodigy. If I didn't care for nameless people now… how will I ever meet the ones I know in the future?"

Lyn sheathed her sword. "I believe you. You aren't a bad person. At least, not anymore." Will smiled. "I don't know if I can easily forget the fate of my people, but at least you are trying to atone. I should respect that, or Father Sky and Mother Earth would curse me next. Even so, you might not have much longer left." She added, frowning.

"I have enough. As long as I stay out of the fight and we get to Caelin in a timely manner, we'll get the cure." Will said simply. They both looked at each other briefly, and then back at him.

"But how can you be so sure?" Florina asked, worried.

"Mark is pulling Lundgren's strings. That's what his whole reunion was all about. To let me know he'll be leading Caelin's forces against us." Will said, clenching his fist.

They didn't question him any further after that. He closed his eyes shortly after and went back to sleep. Florina and Lyn looked at each other for a short while, before deciding to return to the campfire once more, where everyone awaited them.

"He's okay." Lyn announced to the silent campfire, and the group broke out almost at once into relieved laughter, and jokes about how tense they had been. They had been slightly worried that Lyn would send him away, but she had obviously decided against it. Caelin was getting closer by the day, and with Will's tactics, they might just have a shot.

"Will said to be ready to move out in the morning, because we've still got a long way to go." Lyn announced after a short while, and everyone nodded. They decided to eat dinner, then get some sleep themselves before they marched again.

Will smiled, hearing the activity of the camp in the background. After resting his eyes, he felt it would be hard to sleep. Perhaps he'd think of some good strategies while everyone slept. "You were right Maria… Being free is a lot better than I thought it would be. If only Jaffar and Nino knew. Maybe Lloyd and Linus too…" He said, closing his eyes once more. Despite his awakened state, he felt himself once more drifting off to sleep.

The following morning, it was Will's turn to say he had rarely slept so well. Perhaps it was a silly thing to say, with the poison still in his system, but he couldn't help his smile.

* * *

The bald man sighed, leafing through the official summons in his hand. He had several questions to ask the sender, but he had a feeling his questions would be answered in the following letter. The first had promised another was incoming, so until then he figured he would wait and see what transpired.

Of course, it could be a long time until the next one arrived. He shook his head, sparing another glance to the general's armor resting on the wall. He walked outside, wondering if the current weather was good for his poor cabbages.

* * *

Matthew had finally reached the heart of Araphen. "How's that, Leila? Think you can top my time?" He said, glancing at the position of the sun. "Only five and a half days, by my reckoning. Wonder if she's ever done better. Bet she has…" He said, wrinkling his nose. He looked around the square. "Maybe I can fill my pockets with things these people don't need… just to pass the time." Of course, he only said that for his own amusement. He really just walked into the inn, paid for a room, and then went to sleep. He still had a bit of time, but it would pay better to be in top form.

* * *

Rath rode thorough the town, giving small nods to the people all around. They all looked cheerful enough, but he heard them muttering whenever he turned around. He doubted highly it was about him. He surmised it had something to do with the Marquess, who often treated him as though he were a glass ball, and the smallest crack could break him. This was ridiculous, of course. He was Sacaen.

"The wind blows my way… fate seems to be upon its wings… A very strange wind." He uttered so quietly, that not even his horse could hear him. Not that anyone but him could have understand what it meant. He patted his horse lightly, and continued on his way.

* * *

"WHAT?!" Lord Lundgren yelled. Mark rubbed his ears. The man was rather loud when he wanted to be. "She crossed the border?!" He said, through teeth so tight, it was a wonder they didn't shatter under the strain.

"Yes…" He said, handing another rose, this one white, to the Lord. Once more his eyes became glassy, and his jaw slack as Mark spoke further. "They are headed to Araphen, my lord." He said, smiling. "But their tactician is now poisoned. And without this antidote…" He said, putting the purple vial in the lord's lap. "The tactician will die. I leave it to you."

Lundgren nodded. "Shall I send soldiers to meet them, Lord Mark?" He asked.

"That would be wise." Mark said with a smile, walking from the hall with a swish of his cloak. All the soldiers gave him a wide berth. They didn't like this man.

"Well? Hurry it up! Kill that Sacaen Mongrel! Attack her with everything we've got!" He ordered while holding the rose, muttering something to himself. "Lord Mark was right… The old man and the girl cling to life like drowning men to rocks." He turned to his attendant. "Double the strength of the poison."

"But my lord!" The servant exclaimed.

"Do it." Lundgren growled. "If he struggles, hold him down and pour it down his throat! You understand?"

The servant bowed, and left. Lundgren was left on the throne, twirling the rose idly in his hand. "Once the girl is gone, no one will stand in my way… No one!" He laughed loudly and heartily, and the empty throne room was filled with the sound.


End file.
